The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, has nullified the election victory of Hon Ibe Okwara Osonwa, the Labour Party (LP) member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives

The Tribunal also declared Daniel Chimezie Okeke, the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25 National Assembly Election for Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency.

Okeke had, in his petition filed before the Tribunal, sought the nullification of Okwara’s election, alleging that his election contradicted the provisions of the new Electoral Act 2022.

A 3-member panel led by Justice Adeyinka Aderegbegbe, in a judgment on Monday, upheld the argument of the petitioner.

It subsequently declared the APC candidate the winner of the February 25 National Assembly poll and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Ibe.

Similarly, the tribunal had sacked the Labour Party lawmaker representing Abia North/South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Emeka Nnamani, for certificate forgery.

The three-member panel declared Alex Ikwecheghi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as the validly elected winner of the February 25 National Assembly election for the Abia North/South Federal Constituency.

Another panel led by Justice Hajaratu Hajjo Lawa also nullified the election of Munachim Alozie, representing Obingwa/Osisioma Ngwa/Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives.

The tribunal ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a rerun in some wards of Osisioma Ngwa council within the next 90 days.

Delivering the judgement on behalf of the three-man tribunal, Prof. Muhammad Mahmud held that the declaration of the LP candidate, Aozie, was in error since the margin of lead was less than the number of voters who were disenfranchised in some polling units who collected their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).

Candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Ibe Michael Nwoke, had filed the petition after the candidate of the Labour Party was declared the winner of the February 25 election.

Nwoke prayed the court to, among other things, nullify the election as Alozie was not duly elected as the margin of lead was lower than the number of voters who were disenfranchised in the February 25 National Assembly election.