Sad Day As Court Sacks Three Labour Party Federal Lawmakers In Abia

It is not a good day for the Labour Party in Abia State as the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, on Monday, sacked three of it’s House of Representatives members

The Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, sacked Hon. Ibe Okwara Osonwa (the member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency), on the grounds that he failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

The three-member Tribunal led by Justice Adeyinka Aderegbegbe, declared Chief Daniel Okeke (petitioner) of the APC as the winner of the February 25, 2023 election for the Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency.

It also ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Osonwa and issue a new one to Okeke.

Similarly, another National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, sacked the lawmaker representing Aba North/South federal constituency in the house of representatives, Hon. Emeka Nnamani of the Labour Party on the grounds of falsified certificate.

The three man Tribunal declared Alex Ikwechegh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA winner of the house of reps election for Aba North/South federal constituency held on 25 February 2023.

On the other hand, Hon. Munachim Alozie (member representing Osisioma/Obingwa/Ugwunagbo federal Constituency), was sacked in the petition filed by Hon. Nwoke Ibe Michael of the YPP and a rerun ordered.

The court ordered a rerun within the next 90 days according to the constitution. The Tribunal noted that the LP candidate was declared in error and therefore cannot stand.

Reading out the judgement, Prof. Muhammad Mahmud on behalf of the three man panel headed by Hajaratu Hajjo Lawal, said the number of lead is more than the number of voters who were disenfranchised in some polling units but collected their Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs.

The candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, Hon. Ibe Michael Nwoke had approached the court after the declaration of Labour Party’s Munachim Alozie as winner of the February 25th elections demanding nullification.

Nwoke prayed the court to, among other things, nullify the election of LP’s Alozie as he was not duly elected and his election invalid based on the margin of lead.

While counsel to YPP’s candidate adjudged the ruling as fair, the LP’s counsel insists on appealing the case.

With the sack of these Lawmakers, they join Amobi Ogah representing Isiukwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, who was sacked last Wednesday.

The Tribunal sacked Ogah as the winner of the Isuikwuato/Umunneochi House of Representatives.

Consequently, the Tribunal declared Nkiru Onyejeocha of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the rightful winner of the seat.

The February 25 House of Representatives election had initially seen Ogah, the Labour Party candidate, declared the winner with 11,822 votes, while Onyejeocha secured 8,752 votes.

However, the Tribunal’s ruling invalidated the results earlier declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In its decision delivered on Wednesday, the Tribunal directed INEC to withdraw the certificate of return previously issued to Ogah and issue a new one to Nkiru Onyejeocha, the APC candidate.

Out of eight House of Representatives seats in Abia State, LP won Six while PDP and APC won one each in the last election.