Abia Tribunal sacks LP’s Ogah, declares APC’s Onyejeocha winner
National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Umuahia, Abia State has declared the now Minister of State for Labour and employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, as winner of the representing Isuikwuato Umunneochi federal constituency.
This is after the court had nullified the election of the Labour Party candidate, Amaobi Ogah on the grounds that the latter did not comply with the Electoral Act provisions.
The tribunal, Wednesday, annulled Ogah’s victory on the grounds that he failed to prove to the court that he won the election from the results declared, tabulated and presented.
In annulling the election of Ogah, the three-member panel of the tribunal held that there was no date or evidence of parry primaries held electing Ogah as standardbearer.
“How a candidate is sponsored by a political party is both a pre and post-election matter, there is no evidence of giving 21 days’ notice to INEC by the respondent before conducting their primary election”, the tribunal declared, adding that there was no date of primaries placed before it, neither was there evidence of primaries conducted by the 3rd respondent.
On the results declared by INEC, the tribunal said, “We have tabulated and found out that the results computed by the petitioner are correct and the results computed by the 1st respondent are dis-countenanced.”
Meanwhile, reacting to the court’s declaration as winner of the Reps election, Hon Onyejeocha, in a statement by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gabriel Emameh, described the outcome of her petition at the tribunal as natural.
“God has proven to be the ruler of the universe and has shown love to whom He desired to bless even in the face of adversity and internal conspiracy. My victory came from God. My victory is a clear reminder of the confidence of the people in my capacity to continue to represent them in line with their hopes and aspirations,” she said.
Hon Onyejeocha commended the judiciary for rising up to the occasion, ‘despite countless attempts to intimidate and blackmail the last hope of the common man.’
