Election Petition Victory: Technical Defense Saves Electoral Mandate
Okechukwu Akara Nwogu v. INEC & 2 Ors arose from the Rivers State House of Assembly elections held in 2015. We were engaged to represent and defend the winner of the election, and this case became particularly notable for the manner in which we secured victory.
Technical excellence in election petition matters can be the difference between success and failure. Our deep understanding of electoral procedure protected our client's mandate.
The Strategic Challenge
That election cycle saw numerous successful petitions before the panel. We needed a strategy that would protect our client's mandate while navigating a tribunal that was ruling in favor of petitioners. We identified a critical technical flaw in the petition filed against our client.
The Technical Argument
We raised a fundamental objection at the interlocutory stage regarding the Petitioners' failure to state the scores of the candidates as declared by INEC. The court heard our argument but deferred ruling until the final stage of proceedings. We maintained our position throughout the trial.
The Judgment
In its final judgment, the court agreed with our submission that the failure of the petitioner to state the scores as declared by INEC was fatal to the Petition. The Petition was dismissed for want of competence, and our client's victory at the polls was upheld. That year, we successfully defended over 12 Petitions using similar strategic approaches.
Author
Neplus Ultra Attorneys
Publisher
Neplus Ultra Attorneys is a 21st century fully integrated law firm in Nigeria with offices in Abuja and Benin City. We provide top quality legal services across all areas of law.
