JUST IN: Tribunal Sacks Another LP Reps Member, Declares PDP’s Candidate Winner

JUST IN: Tribunal Sacks Another LP Reps Member, Declares PDP’s Candidate Winner

In a significant ruling, the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal convened in Enugu has taken a decisive action regarding the House of Representatives seat for Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency. Chijioke Okereke, a member of the Labour Party (LP) previously occupying the position, has been removed from office.

This three-member panel, led by Justice Nusirat I. Umar, has officially declared Chief Anayo Onwuegbu (Omeihe-Ukwu) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the rightful winner of the February 25, 2023 election in that constituency.

This ruling marks the second instance where the tribunal has removed a Labour Party representative from office. Previously, Prof. Sunday Nnamchi, representing Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency in Enugu State, was replaced by Cornelius Nnaji, the PDP candidate, by a similar three-member panel led by A. M. Abubakar.

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The foundation of this decision was Onwuegbu’s challenge to the declaration of Okereke, arguing that he was not a legitimate candidate as his name did not appear on the result sheet as the Labour Party’s candidate. The tribunal concurred with this argument, asserting that Okereke was not a valid candidate for the election.

In light of this ruling, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been directed to issue a certificate of return to the PDP candidate, effectively recognizing Onwuegbu as the duly elected representative.

This legal dispute traces back to the issue of party candidacy. The former minority leader of the House of Representatives, Toby Okechukwu, was initially listed by INEC as the LP candidate for the election. Subsequently, Okechukwu’s name appeared on the result sheet, not Okereke’s. In response, Okereke pursued legal action in a High Court in Enugu, ultimately securing a judgment in his favor. This decision culminated in his candidacy for the Labour Party in the election, though Okechukwu had distanced himself from the party.