The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Enugu, yesterday, upheld the election of Dennis Agbo of the Labour Party (LP) as the duly elected member representing Igbo-eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency of Enugu State.
Ruling in a petition brought before it by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 House of Reps contest, Obiageli Ajih, the panel, led by Justice The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Enugu, yesterday, upheld the election of Dennis Agbo of the Labour Party as the duly elected member representing Igbo-eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency of Enugu State., dismissed the petition for being incompetent and lacking in merit.
Ajih had asked the 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 LP at the time of the election.
But in a ruling read by Justice Legor T. Senewo, the tribunal held that the petitioner failed to prove alleged irregularities. On Agbo not being a member of LP, Justice Senewo said the petitioner lacked the locus standi to question what happened in another party.
He added 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 the third ground of the petition, which is non-compliance with the Electoral Law, the judge said the declaration was made in compliance with the Electoral Act.
Speaking to newsmen at the court after the judgment, Agbo described it as an affirmation of his popular mandate to represent the good people of Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency.
The lawmaker, who said he had already hit the ground running, promised to sustain the tempo.
“I remember the kind of mandate they’ve given to me; I don’t lose sight of it even for a second and it’s 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 I have already started, and the results are showing,” he said.
