The National and State Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Abakaliki has upheld the election of two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives members from Ebonyi state.
The Tribunal headed by Justice John Agya, upheld the elections of Chief Lazarus Ogbee, representing Ikwo/ Ezza South Federal Constituency and Chief Sylvester Ogbaga, representing Abakaliki/ Izzi Federal Constituency.
The election of both PDP federal lawmakers was challenged by the Labour Party candidates of Chief Tobias Okwuru and Mrs Helen Nwaobashi respectively.
The tribunal chairman Agya dismissed Okwuru’s petition for lack of merit, ruling that the evidence he provided before the tribunal was not enough to prove his claims of irregularities during the election.
“His claim of electoral violence, trump-printing ballot-box snatching among others during the elections could not be proved with the evidence submitted.”
He also noted that the petitioner failed to submit the forensic materials to prove his claims on or before the 21 days period stipulated by law.
“The tribunal would therefore not grant the petitioner’s prayer for the cancellation of the election and hereby dismiss the petition for lack of merit.
“The National and State Assembly Petition Tribunal also dismissed Nwaobashi’s petition against Ogbaga, also ruling that it lacked merit.
“The petitioner could not prove that there were irregularities in the two councils which make up the federal constituency, beyond reasonable doubt.”
He noted that the petitioner could not prove that there were electoral violence during the elections as the tribunal therefore could not grant her prayers that the elections be cancelled.
(The Nation)
