Toba Owojaiye ReportingÂ
The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Umuahia, Abia State, has invalidated the election victory of Hon Amobi Ogah from the Labour Party (LP) in the Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency. Instead, they declared Hon Nkiruka Onyejiocha, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, as the rightful winner. The tribunal’s decision was based on the finding that Ogah’s election did not comply with the Electoral Act.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) initially declared Amobi Ogah as the winner with 11,769 votes, while Onyejiocha received 8,752 votes. Dissatisfied with the result, Onyejeocha filed a petition with seven claims, seeking the annulment of Ogah’s election.
The tribunal’s three-member panel ruled that Ogah’s candidacy did not adhere to the Electoral Act’s provisions, as there was no evidence of a 21-day notice given to INEC before the party’s primary election. They also found discrepancies in the voting results, concluding that Onyejiocha secured 11,976 votes after adjusting for alleged inflated figures, while Ogah received 9,736 votes.
Additionally, Ogah’s argument that Onyejeocha’s acceptance of a ministerial appointment indicated abandonment of her petition was dismissed by the tribunal, as they deemed section 66 inapplicable to the case.
This ruling alters the election outcome, with Nkiruka Onyejiocha declared as the rightful representative of the Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency, replacing Amobi Ogah.