Details have emerged on how the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, NAEPT, sitting in Umuahia sacked Chief Amobi Ogah as the House of Representatives member for Isiukwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency.
The court in its ruling on Wednesday declared the petitioner, Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha of the All Progressive Congress (APC) winner of the Feb 25 National Assembly Election in a suit marked EPT/AB/HR/8/2023.
The judgement was delivered by the Chairman of the National and State House of Assembly election petitions in Abia state, Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe.
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Justice Aderibigbe who resolved the matter in favour of the petitioners, held that they had proved their allegation that Mr. Ogah was not qualified to contest in the election as he and Labour Party did not comply with the provisions of section 77 by not submitting their membership register to INEC.
Justice Adeyinka declared Onyejeocha winner with total number of 11,936 votes while the second and third respondents has 9,728 votes.
The chairman also claimed that the election was marred by irregularities and non-compliance with the electoral act, further arguing that the respondent did not join in the primaries and as well ran out of the law.
He insisted that Labour Party did not give INEC the mandatory 21 days notice before conducting the primary election in the federal constituency which produced Chief Ogah.
However, the tribunal held that Ogah and Labour Party’s petition lacked merit and subsequently dismissed it.
The tribunal also noted that the issue raised by the respondents that the petition be dismissed due to the fact that Mrs. Onyejeocha accepted a nomination to become a minister by the executive arm of government does not hold as the tribunal had specific terms of reference to work with while she had the right to sustain the petition she filed to it’s conclusion.
