12th September, 2023
In what can be described as a big setbqck, the Abia National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia on Monday sacked three members of House of Representatives elected on the platform of the Labour Party (LP).
One of those sacked was Ibe Okwara Osunwa,the member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal constituency in House of Representatives.
Okwara was sacked by a panel of the tribunal led by Justice Adeyinka Aderebgbe, for non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022, in a petition filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC ) in the election, Daniel Okeke.
The tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Osunwa and issue a new one 1to the APC candidate.
Also sacked was Munachim Alozie, representing Obingwa/Osisioma/Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency.
The court ordered a rerun election to be conducted in the Federal Constituency within the next 90 days for a new Representative.
The tribunal noted that Alozie’s declaration as winner of the election into the Federal Constituency was in error and therefore cannot stand.
Justice Muhammad Mahmud who read the judgment of the three-man panel headed by Lawal, said the margin of lead of the LP candidate was less than the number of voters who were disenfranchised in some polling units that collected their Permanent Voters Cards in the Federal Constituency.
The election of the Rep member was voided in the petition filed the candidate of Young Progressives Party, Ibe Michael Nwoke.
The YP candidate had prayed the court to among others, nullify the election of Alozie based on the margin of lead.
However,the LP’s Rep member’s counsel said he will appeal the r1uling of the tribunal.
Also nullified was the election of the member representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency, Emeka Nnamani.
Nnamani was sacked for certificate forgery.
Consequently, the tribunal declared the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA) in the election, Alex Ikwueche as the winner.
It therefore ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Nnamani and issue a new one to Ikwecheghi.