By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, Abia State, has upheld the election of Chris Nkwonta of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the House of Representatives member for Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency.
In a unanimous decision by the three-man panel, the tribunal dismissed the petition brought before it by Mr Nnadozie Okpokiri, the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, challenging INEC’s declaration of Nkwonta as the winner of the February 25, 2023 National Assembly election.
Okpokiri, through his counsel, had prayed the tribunal to nullify Nkwonta’s election, citing alleged irregularities in many polling units.
The tribunal ruled that the petitioner’s case lacked merit as he could not prove his claims that the February 25 election in Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal constituency was marred by irregularities in 199 polling units.
It therefore, dismissed the case for lack of merit and upheld Nkwonta’s victory.
In a related development, the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal dismissed a suit brought by Anthony Agbazuere, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Isiala Ngwa North/Isiala South Federal Constituency of Abia State, seeking to nullify the victory of Ginger Onwusibe of the Labour Party, LP.
Agbazuere, who was the Chief of Staff to former Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, had approached the tribunal to challenge Onwusibe’s victory in the February 25 National Assembly elections.
But in its ruling on Monday, the tribunal dismissed Agbazuere’s petition and upheld Onwusibe’s election.
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