In a recent development, the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Enugu has nullified the election victory of Okey Mbah, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the March 18 House of Assembly poll for the Nkanu East State Constituency. The tribunal has also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize a rerun election in the affected polling units within the next 90 days.
Okey Mbah had been representing Governor Peter Mbah’s constituency in the State House of Assembly. However, this decision comes after the Labour Party candidate, Mr. Okwudiri Nnaji, filed a petition with the tribunal, challenging the validity of Mbah’s election victory. Nnaji cited instances of over-voting and other electoral irregularities as the basis for his challenge.
The tribunal, presided over by Justice Adie Onyebueke and comprising three members, has now invalidated the election results and called for a fresh election to be conducted in specific polling units located in Ugbawka and Owo wards. These areas had witnessed inflated election results that favored other candidates.
The tribunal’s ruling emphasized that the election and subsequent return by INEC failed to meet the essential criteria of a credible, fair, and transparent election. This was primarily due to significant non-compliance with the Electoral Act. Notably, the tribunal pointed out instances where the number of votes cast exceeded the number of registered and accredited voters in those affected areas.
This development underscores the vital importance of maintaining the integrity of electoral processes and ensuring strict adherence to established electoral rules and regulations.