The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Enugu has nullified the election of the Labour Party’s candidate, Prof. Sunday Nnamchi, as the House of Representatives member for the Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency. The tribunal declared Prince Cornelius Nnaji, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the duly elected representative for the constituency in the February 25, 2023 election.
The PDP candidate, Prince Nnaji, had filed a petition challenging the election result, arguing that the Labour Party’s candidate was not duly sponsored and qualified to contest the election on the platform of the Labour Party. The tribunal unanimously agreed with the petitioner, ruling that the Labour Party candidate was not qualified to contest the election.
In another election petition case in Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswam of the PDP was declared the winner of the 2023 election for the Benue North East Senatorial District. The tribunal, led by Justice Ory Zik-Ikeorha, nullified the victory of Senator Emmanuel Udende of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and declared Suswam the winner. The tribunal cited irregularities, such as mutilation, non-signing of documents, and non-inclusion of lawful votes, as reasons for its decision.
Chief Samuel Ortom, a former governor of Benue State, and the PDP in the state congratulated Senator Suswam on his victory and commended the judiciary for upholding justice. The PDP expressed hope that the victory would strengthen its position in the state’s National Assembly representation and potentially impact the outcome of the governorship election petition awaiting judgment.