Multiple Registrations: Court Orders Documents Pasted at Obiano's Residence

       

A Federal High Court,  Thursday in Abuja, ordered the service of court documents (processes) on the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in tomorrow’s election, Chief Willie Obiano.

The documents are in respect of a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/712/2013 - challenging Obiano's qualification for the election on the ground that he possessed two voter's cards, having allegedly engaged in multiple registrations.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed, after listening to the plaintiffs' lawyer, Ifeanyi Nrialike, moved an ex-parte motion, granted leave to the plaintiffs to effect substituted service of court processes on Obiano outside jurisdiction.

The judge also ordered the plaintiffs - Ugochukwu Ikegwuonu and Kenneth Moneke to, in effecting the substituted service, paste the processes on the entrance or any other conspicuous parts of his residence at 1 Chief Willie Obiano Street, Aguleri Otuocha, Anambra State.
Sued with Obiano is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The plaintiffs had contended that the voter's card Obiano tendered before his party which allowed him to participate in the party's screening exercise was not the same as the one he submitted to INEC and therefore raised three questions for the court's determination, while seeking five reliefs, including an order disqualifying Obiano from contesting the election.
They also sought an order of mandatory injunction compelling INEC to strike out Obiano's name from its record as a candidate in the election.

The plaintiffs equally want the court to declare that Obiano was unqualified to contest the election on the grounds of allegedly possessing more than one voter's cards; for allegedly engaging in multiple registrations and for having allegedly supplied false information to INEC.
They wanted the court to determine whether by his alleged conduct, Obiano was still qualified to contest the election by virtue of the provisions of Sections 12(2), 16(2)(3) and 31(5) of the Electoral Act.

In a supporting affidavit, Ikegwuonu averred that Obiano possessed two voter's cards, the one he purportedly obtained in Lagos, which he tendered during his party's screening exercise in August and the second he claimed to have obtained in Otuocha, Anambra on September 3, this year, which he allegedly presented to the INEC. He gave the Voter's Identification Number (VIN) on the first one as: 90F5815E7D3738200332 and on the second one as: 90F5B12B01296204172. He also queried Obiano's claim to being a resident of Otuocha and the validity of the birth certificate he submitted to INEC.

He held that Obiano's claim to having a single voter's card as contained in the documents he submitted to INEC was false and as such, faulted the September 3, 2013 date contained on the birth certificate which Obiano tendered and which was issued by Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra.

He prayed the court to disqualify Obiano as candidate for the election. Parties are to return to court on December 18 before which the respondents are expected to have filed their response.