By Damilare Adeleye
Bye-election petition tribunal has sacked the House of Representatives member representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, Engr Simon Atigwe.
Consequently, the tribunal, which sat in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has declared the candidate of the Labour Party, Hon Dennis Agbo, winner of the rerun election held on February 3rd, 2024.
Agbo earlier won the seat during the 2023 general election, but the Court of Appeal annulled his victory, and ordered a rerun in about ten polling units.
The petition sacking Agbo was filed by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the election, which proved that the result sheets of the affected units did not include the scores of APC.
LP’s Agbo led by the PDP candidate with over 10, 000 votes before the court order for the rerun.However, during the rerun, the PDP candidate won.
LP alleged widespread manipulation, with videos of electoral officials arrested with pre-filled electoral results circulated virally.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Atigwe winner in the rerun with 23863 votes while Agbo, a banker, garnered 23226 votes.
Agbo had petitioned the outcome at the tribunal, arguing that the election was marred by wrong computation of results, and substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
In the ruling on Wednesday, the tribunal, headed by Justice H N Kunaza, held that the petition had merit and declared Hon Dennis Nnamdi Agbo the actual winner of Igbo Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency.
Justice Kunaza’s panel declared invalid, null and void the 2000 votes added to the PDP candidate and restored the votes of 25th February 2023 of 14229 for the PDP and 28870 for the LP candidate.
It also held that Engr Atigwe was not duly elected by the valid votes cast as the petitioner won with 23,221 and PDP 21,863 votes and as such, the certificate of return issued to Atigwe be withdrawn and issued to Hon Agbo.