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By Iheanyi Chukwudi
The election of Labour Party (LP) candidate, Hon. Dennis Agbo, for Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency seat, has been upheld by the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Enugu.
The Tribunal in it's judgment on the petition brought before it by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 National Assembly election, Obiageli Ajih, on Thursday held that Hon. Agbo was duly elected.
The Justice Nusirat I. Umar-led panel dismissed Ajih's petition for being incompetent and lacking in merit.
Ajih had in her petition asked tribunal to nullify the election of Agbo on the grounds of Irregularities and corruption, non compliance with the electoral law (omission of her party in form EC8a) and the respondent not being a member of the Labour Party at the time of the election.
But the three-man panel in a ruling read by Justice Legor T. Senewo, held that the petitioner failed to prove case of irregularities adding that the witness of the petitioners even supported the respondent in their account.
On Agbo not being a member of Labour Party, Justice Senewo said the petitioner not being a member of the party, lacked the locus standi to question what happened in another party.
Adding also that issue of membership, substitution, nomination and sponsorship of a candidate to an election is a pre-election matter and that the tribunal has no jurisdiction to hear it.
On non compliance with the electoral law, the Tribunal held that the declaration was made in compliance with the electoral act and the result sheet contained the petitioner’s name.
Agbo who spoke to newsmen at the court after the judgment, expressed delight with the out come of the matter, describing the judgement as an affirmation of his popular mandate to represent the good people of Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency.
He said, “I remember the kind of mandate they’ve given to me, I don’t lose sight of it even for a second and its a popular and sacred mandate that swam against the tide and it was an overwhelming victory.
That being the case, I will work for them day and night, this mandate is worth losing sleep for and they know what has already started and the results are showing.”
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