The Imo State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, in Petition No EPT/IM/HR/13/2024 has nullified the return of the PDP candidate, Hon Jonas Okeke as the House of Representatives member for Ehime Mbano/Ihitte Uboma,Obowo Federal Constituency in Imo State.
In a unanimous decision the three-man panel comprising Justice Anthony Olotu Akpovi (Chairman), Justice Usman A.S Kudu, and Justice Ibrahim Mohammed declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress Party, APC Hon Deacon Chike Okafor, as the duly elected candidate of the election conducted on 25th February, 2023.
Hon Chike Okafor, an Economist, investment banker, former Commissioner for Finance, Imo State and a two-term federal lawmaker, who served as the 8th Assembly Chairman, Committee on Healthcare Services, Chairman Adhoc Committee on Non Oil Revenue and Remittances, and a very key Member of the Committees of Appropriation, Finance, Banking and Currency, among others in the 9th Assembly challenged the declaration of Jonas Okeke by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the election on the grounds that the respondent was not duly sponsored and qualified to contest the election under the candidacy of the People Democratic Party, PDP.
The tribunal, which conducted its proceedings in Nasarawa state, issued an order, setting aside “the purported return of the 1st respondent as winner of the Ehime Mbano/Ihitte-Uboma/ Obowo federal constituency election.”
The judgement followed a petition marked: EPT/IM/HR/17/2023, which was filed before the tribunal by candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Nwachukwu Austine.
Even though it nullified Onwuegbu’s of election, the tribunal, said it could not issue further consequential orders that were not sought by the petitioner.
According to the tribunal, the petitioner, having failed to seek further reliefs, “we will not play the role of Santa Claus even if it is Christmas season.”
It will recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared Onwuegbu of the PDP as winner of the election with a total of 19,468 votes.
His closest rival, Okafor Chike John of the All Progressives Congress, APC, got 15, 920 votes, the LP candidate, Austine, came third with a total of 6, 877 votes, while the candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Reginald Keke, came a distant fourth with a total of 1, 506 votes.
However, dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, candidates of the APC, LP and PRP, approached the tribunal to nullify the election.
Meanwhile, the tribunal proceeded to deliver its judgement on the petition that the candidate of the APC, John, filed to be declared the authentic winner of the House of Reps election.
In its judgment on the petition, the tribunal agreed with the petitioner that the candidate of the PDP was not qualified to contest the election, and subsequently ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Jonas Okeke, and issue same to Hon Chike Okafor.