Tribunal sacks LP Reps Member, orders INEC to issue certificate of return to APC Candidate

The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, Wednesday, sacked the member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency, Hon Amobi Ogah (Labour Party).

,,,,,It subsequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to withdraw the certificate of return given to Ogah and issue same to the Petitioner, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

In Another News, The Presidential Election Petitions Court in Abuja has dismissed an argument by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, that President Bola Tinubu has dual citizenship and therefore not qualified to hold office.

Atiku in his petition accused Tinubu of being a citizen of Nigeria and Guinea.

Atiku, in a process he filed before the court also accused Tinubu of not disclosing facts of his constitutional qualifications in his Form EC9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), contrary to the provisions of the law.

,,,,Justice Moses Ugo agreed with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tinubu that the petitioners – Atiku and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – could not add new issues not originally in their petition.

Atiku, in the petition, marked: CA/PEPC/05/2023, which he lodged before the court, also applied for the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return that was issued to Tinubu by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He argued that the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election was “invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022”.

,,,,,In the petition, Atiku also alleged that Tinubu was previously convicted and fined the sum of $460,000.00 by the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, in Case No: 93C 4483, for an offence involving dishonesty and drug trafficking.