Immigration expert tells election tribunal Cross River deputy Governor, Odey is British citizen
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Peter Odey, deputy governor of Cross River State
By Akpan David, Calabar
A lawyer and expert in Immigration Law, Olusegun Thompson has alleged that the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Peter Odey is a British citizen.
Thompson who was one of the subpoenaed witnesses of the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Cross River who petitioned against INEC declaration of Senator Bassey Otu as winner of the March 18, 2023 election, gave expert opinion before the Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Calabar on the British Citizenship of the third respondent which he adopted on oath.
He presented documents corroborating the assertion tendered before the EPT include the British Nationality Act 1981, Citizenship Oath/Pledge, Home Office Form AN4 – Application for Naturalization as a British Citizen and the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act of 2002 as well as Citizenship Ceremonies (an attachment of the AN Application Form for Citizenship Acquisition).
Other documents PDP tendered were Declaration Form (an excerpt of the British Nationality Act 1981), Home Office Form AN Form (Application for Naturalization as a British Citizen) and Guide AN Naturalization Booklet: The Requirements & the Process.
When counsel for INEC, K.O.Balogun, crossed examined him, Thompson said that under Section 42(2) of the British Naturalization Act, every qualified applicant must take the Oath of allegiance before his certificate of British Citizenship was issued.
But Thomspon argued that to the best of his knowledge, the third respondent, Odey, was not granted because nobody has ever been granted such waiver.
But following the Thompson’s attestation, the PDP camp have raised suspicion that there could be moves by the the deputy governor’s team to tamper with the British Citizenship documents.
A stalwart who is close to Prof Sandy Onor, the PDP gubernatorial candidate said, “We are aware that the APC Election Tact Team are making moves to see how the documents tendered by Thompson can be countered and possibly get clearance from British Home Office.
“Peter Odey and his team are working round the clock to subvert justice as they are already making moves to reach out to some powerful Nigerians living in London to lobby and see how they get real waiver for him with regard to his oath of allegiance to being a British citizen”, he told journalists.
The PDP Election Petition Stakeholders team led by Comrade Johnson Monkom Johnson said: “We are ready to ensure that no fake documents are smuggled into the tribunal to pervert justice and tell lies to the Court in the name of getting a waiver.
“We are ready and If they allegedly forge any document, we would interrogate it before the British Court and make it public. We would petition the Home Office for forgery and pursue the matter to any length to ensure that justice is seen to have been done.”
Onor wants the Tribunal to nullify the declaration of Otu as governor on the grounds of alleged irregularities. His petition was filed on April 4, 2023 with Suit No: EPT/CR/GOV/03M/2023.
Reacting for the respondents, counsel to Governor Otu and his deputy, Kimasuade Edun, (SAN), who held brief for the lead counsel, Prof. Mike Ozekhome, (SAN), said they need some time also to gather their witnesses.