Member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency Abia state, Ibe Okwara Osonwa has reacted to the judgement of National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal which voided his election, saying he would recover his mandate.
In a statement shortly after the judgement of the tribunal on Monday led by Hon. Justice Adeyinka A. Aderibgbe, he faulted the tribunal for disqualifying him as the candidate of Labour Party in the Feb. National Assembly election, noting that the issue of his nomination for which he was disqualified a pre-election matter.
Osonwa of the Labour Party polled 8,946 votes on the Feb. 25 National Assembly election while his challenger, Chief Dan Okeke Chimezie of the APC scored 6, 635 votes.
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But the tribunal ordered that the certificate of return issued to Osonwa be withdrawn and issued to Dan Okeke of the APC.
He said, “I am reliably informed by my team of lawyers, that the said judgment, in summary, disqualified my candidacy for the election under the platform of the Labour Party and my return as the winner of the said election as declared by INEC, having garnered the majority of lawful votes cast.
“It will be important to state that at the conclusion of the election in the Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, INEC in their declaration returned me as the winner with 8,946 votes, while Okeke Chimezie and APC scored 6, 635 votes.
“Following my said disqualification, the Tribunal declared Okeke Chimezie of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election, and, further Ordered that the Certificate of return issued to me be withdrawn and same issued to the said Okeke Chimezie.
“The Tribunal, I am informed, hinged their judgment on my disqualification on Sections 77(2) and (3) of the Electoral Act, 2022, an issue which the Appellate Courts have severally posited are not for the Election Tribunal, but remain in the domain of pre–election matters.
“My candidacy for election under the Labour Party had never been in doubt and was further reinforced by the Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, in a well–considered judgment delivered on 4/12/2022 in Suit No.: FHC/UM/CS/129/2022.
“Today’s Tribunal judgment is not only perverse in all its ramifications, but also an affront on the established tenets of democracy and the wish and rights of the good people of the Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in choosing their representative at the National Assembly.”
While urging his supporters to remain calm, Hon. Osonwa expressed confidence that he would recover his mandate at the Court of Appeal.
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