The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has sacked Labour Party’s Emeka Nnamani, and declared APGA’s Alex Ifeanyi Mascot Ikwechegh as the member representing Abia North/Aba South Federal Constituency.
Namani of the Labour Party was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on February 28, with 35502 votes to beat APGA’s Ikwechegh and incumbent, PDP’s Chimaobi Ebisike who scored 22,465 and 13388 votes respectively.
Ikwechegh and Ebisike of APGA And PDP respectively dissatified with the declaration approached the tribunal.
The PDP & Ebisike in their Petitions hinged their argument on the membership of Nnamani as well as suppressed votes.
Ikwechegh & APGA on the other hand challenged the academic qualifications of the declared winner.
The Appeal Court on Monday dismissed the petitions of the PDP & Ebisike.
Nnamani originally from from Enugu State but resident in Aba, had contested the PDP Primaries for House of Assembly in Enugu and at the same time another Abia House of Assembly seat under the APGA in 2015 and having been elected to represent Aba North State Constituency under APGA in the Abia House of Assembly in 2015, he was dragged to the tribunal by Dr. Blessing Nwagba then of the PDP (and now 2023 APC Abia South Senatorial Candidate).
The Justice S. Yahuzu-led tribunal in October had sacked Nnamani for not been a card-carrying member of APGA at the time and asked the Police to investigate his alleged forged Certificate from UNIPORT following a disclaimer by the then Registrar of the Institution that he (Nnamani) didn’t graduate from the University of Port Harcourt.
The Appeal Court in December 2015 then upheld his sack, banning him from future elections.
The Justice Adeyinka Adebayo Aderibigbe-led panel in September 2023 taking a cue from the court decision in 2015 sacked Nnamani from the 10th Assembly and upheld the first runner-up, Ikwechegh.
Nnamani and the LP then challenged the tribunal decision before the Appeal Court, who has now unanimously dismissed the appeal.
The Appeal Court in its ruling ordered INEC to immediately withdraw the Certificate issued to Nnamani and issue same to Ikwechegh as duly elected and returned.
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