The National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Enugu State has invalidated the victory of Hon. Okey Mbah from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the March 18 House of Assembly election for Nkanu East constituency.
While INEC had initially declared Mbah the winner, the tribunal ruled on Friday that the process did not align with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.
The three-member panel, led by Honourable Justice Adie Attoe Onyebueke, issued this judgment in response to the petition filed by the Labour Party candidate, Surv. Okwudiri Nnaji, and deemed the election inconclusive.
Consequently, it has called for a rerun in specific polling units within the Ugbawka and Owo wards.
The tribunal’s decision was based on the observation that the number of votes cast exceeded the number of registered and accredited voters in those areas. As a result, it found fault with INEC’s declaration.
It however ordered the electoral umpire, INEC, to conduct a rerun election in the affected polling units within 90 days.