The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, Abia State on Monday sacked three House of Representatives members elected on the platform of the Labour Party.
The judgement against the member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Mr Ibe Okwara Osunwa, was given by a panel of the tribunal led by Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe who sacked him for non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022, in a petition filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election, Daniel Okeke.
The tribunal, therefore, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Osunwa and issue a new one to Okeke.
The Herald gathered that, in a related development, another panel led by Justice Hajaratu Hajjo Lawa nullified the election of Munachim Alozie, representing Obingwa/Osisioma/Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency, ordering a rerun within the next 90 days in line with the constitution.
According to the tribunal, the LP candidate was declared in error and therefore he cannot remain in office.
The panel in their judgement also stated that the number of votes cast is more than the number of voters who were disenfranchised in some polling units who collected their Permanent Voters Cards.
The candidate of the Young Progressives Party, Ibe Michael Nwoke, had after the election of February 25 approached the court after the declaration of Alozie as the winner of the election demanding the cancellation of the election.
In his prayers, Nwoke had asked the court to among other things nullify the election of LP’s Alozie as he was not duly elected and his election was invalid based on the margin of lead.
Also, another panel of the tribunal dissolved the election of the member representing Aba North and South Federal Constituency, Mr Emeka Nnamani, for certificate forgery.
The tribunal, therefore, declared the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the election, Alex Ikwueche as the winner of the election and ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Nnamani and Issue a new one to Ikwueche.