The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State Capital, has nullified the election of Hon. Amobi Ogah of the Labour Party, representing Isiukwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency.
Delivering judgement in the petition tagged EPT/AB/HR/8/2023 on Wednesday in Umuahia, the three-member panel of the tribunal said Ogah did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Oga had argued that the acceptance of the ministerial appointment of Nkeiruka Onyejeocha as minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was a sign that she had abandoned her petition.
But the tribunal in its ruling, dismissed the submission of the lawmaker.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had on February 28, declared Ogah as the winner of the Isiukwuato Umunneochi Federal Constituency election with a total of 11,769 votes against Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who is the current Minister of State for Labour and Employment, who polled 8,752 votes.
Not happy with the result, Onyejeocha filed a petition before the tribunal, seeking the nullification of Ogah’s election in seven reliefs contained in her petition.
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan
In the same vein, the Kogi State Election Petitions Tribunal has declared Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party the winner of the Kogi Central Senatorial election held in February.
It also invalidated the victory of Senator Abubakar Ohere of the All Progressives Congress.
The Tribunal Chairman, Justice K. A. Orjiako, delivered the unanimous judgment of the three-man panel, revealing that Sen. Ohere’s results were inflated in nine polling units in the Ajaokuta Local Government Area.
He added that the Independent National Electoral Commission reduced Natasha’s results in those areas and omitted the results of three other polling units meant for Natasha in the same LGA.
Following the necessary corrections, the court declared Natasha as the winner of the election with 54,074 votes, surpassing Ohere, who garnered 51,291 votes.
