Abia LP Lawmaker Rejects Tribunal’s Verdict

Member representing Isiukwato, Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, Amobi Ogah has rejected the Election Tribunal’s ruling which declared Nkiruika Onyejeocha as the winner of the February 25 House of Representatives Election.

In a statement in Abuja, Ogah who is Chairman, House Committee on HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Control described the ruling as ‘bizarre’.

Ogah explains that having scored a total of 11,769 votes against his Opponent whom the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says scored a total of 8,752 votes, the opponent did not win the election and that the judge cannot announce a result presented by the petitioner as concrete against the result presented by INEC.

“I want to state categorically and for the record that I will appeal the judgment by the Tribunal as soon as I conclude with my legal team.

“With the benefit of hindsight, this bizarre outcome is not totally strange as we had seen tendencies of clear compromise by the panel who discarded all known principles governing election adjudication and enunciated their own principles.

“Indeed, manifestation of it was writ large at the adoption of final addresses wherein the current Attorney General of the Federation- Lateef Fagbemi made comments suggesting underhand dealings with the Chairman of the Panel.

He calls on his Constituents who voted him, knowing his capacity to deliver the dividends of democracy to them, to be calm and law abiding while he appeals the judgment delivered by the Tribunal.

“Let me be clear that I am rejecting the Tribunal’s ruling and will appeal the obvious miscarriage of justice, fairness and objectivity.

“Just to let the public know that the Constituency I represent in the House of Representatives is fully on ground to cater for her people and no amount of distraction will make me lose focus to delivering promises made to my people.

“The will and wish of the people that came out en mass to vote me is not in doubt, hence my prompting to challenge the judgement.

“One wonders why a Minister already serving after a woeful defeat at the February 25th National Assembly poll could still be making frantic efforts to unseat the popular wish of the people in the electoral victory of Labour Party and its Candidate.

“I am however confident that her attempt to scuttle the will of the people would be upturned by the justices of the Appellate Court,” he added.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji