For like a week running, election tribunals sitting across the country have been rolling out verdicts on petitions that emanated from the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections. Expectedly, there have been affirmation and nullification of results that produced members of the 10th House of Representatives. JOSHUA EGBODO writes.
Sweet and sour tastes?
Like the popular axiom; that one man’s meat could be another’s poison, it had been tales of cheers and rejections as election petition tribunals in bids to beat the lawful timeline provided by the electoral laws of the land, continue to roll out verdicts across the country.
At the last count, no fewer than 15 members of the 10th House of Representatives, have had their elections nullified, while a handful had theirs affirmed, and the counting is still on, as more of the tribunals race to beat the deadline of 180 days.
The sacked
Some members of the House of Representatives, whose elections have been upturned over various infractions include Hon. Amobi Ogah of the Labour Party (Abia), Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo), Mukhtar Umar Yerima (NNPP, Kano), Seyi Sawunmi (LP, Lagos), Ngozi Okolie (LP, Delta), Fred Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa), Nazif Mashi (APC, Katsina), Ismai’il Kusada (PDP, Katsina) and Aminu Chindo (PDP, Katsina), among others.
The affirmed
As earlier stated, elections of a handful of members have so far been affirmed by the respective tribunals before which their victories were challenged, and these include Ali Isa JC (PDP, Gombe), Abdulmumin Jibrin (NNPP, Kano); Idahosa Dennis of Ovia federal constituency of Edo state, Obinna Aguocha (LP, Abia), and Deputy Spokesman of the House, Philip Agbese (APC, Benue).
Reactions
As expected, a good number of those affected have made their opinion on the verdicts known; those affirmed celebrating and praising the judiciary, and the sacked vowing to challenge the verdicts amidst protests that the tribunals erred in face of the law.
Ogah
Following the nullification of the election that brought the Labour Party candidate, Hon. Amobi Ogah, to represent the Isiukwuato/Umunnechi federal constituency of Abia state, by the election petition tribunal sitting in Umuahia last week, and declaring former Deputy Majority Whip of the House, and now Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha as the authentic winner, Ogah rejected the judgement, and insisted on challenging the outcome at the Court of Appeal.
“I want to state categorically and for the records that, I will appeal the judgment by the tribunal as soon as I conclude with my legal team”, the lawmaker representing Isiukwato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State said in a statement made available to journalists in reaction to the verdict.
Ogah said, “My opponent, whom I know, did not win the election and the judge cannot announce a result presented by the petitioner as concrete against the result presented by INEC. 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 of the Federation- Lateef Fagbemi SAN made comments suggesting underhand dealings with the Chairman of the Panel.
“I want to use this medium to call on my constituents who voted me, knowing my capacity to deliver dividends of democracy to them, to be calm law abiding as I appeal the judgment delivered by the tribunal.
“For the records, I scored a total of 11,769 votes against my Opponent whom the commission said scored a total of 8,752 votes. It is very bizarre that despite calling a lone witness and dumping several strange result sheets before the Tribunal, the members of the panel cognized same and disregarded original copies of the result sheets produced from proper custody…
“The will and wish of the people that came out en mass to vote me in is not in doubt, hence my prompting to challenge the judgement”.
Ugochinyere
When reports filtered in that election of spokesman of the CUNPP, Ugochinyere had been voided and asked to leave the National Assembly, it was greeted with outrage by his supporters. In upturning the election, the tribunal declared a supplementary election in 55 polling units in the Federal Constituency among the remaining candidates who participated in the February 25 poll it upheld the petition of Chika Abazu of the APC on the ground that the primary election of the PDP which produced Ugochinyere as candidate for the election on his party platform was invalid.
The argument of his supporters and legal team was that the verdict breached an earlier judgement of the Supreme Court, which in cited suit SC/CV/501/2023, held that “a political party that files a suit to challenge the nomination of the candidate of another party will be a nosy busybody, a meddlesome interloper, peeping into the affairs of his neighbour without any backing in law. No court of law can entertain such a Suit,” and submitted that yet the tribunal went ahead and disqualified Ikenga on the challenge by the APC candidate.
Following the judgment, reports showed that youths in Ideato erupted in spontaneous protests, making bonfires and blocking roads with tree logs and leaves, insisting that Ikenga was their choice and that must be respected by the Courts. A protester, Collins Obioha was quoted as saying “the Court of Appeal just last week in the Presidential election judgment in the Peter Obi case declared that the issue of nomination of candidate is a pre-election matter and no election petition court has jurisdiction over such issues. Did the Tribunal not hear that judgment? How come this Tribunal has not only refused to follow the judgment, it sat on appeal over it and overruled it”.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC had declared Ugochinyere the winner of the election with over 13, 000 votes, while Paschal Obi of Labour Party and Chika Abazu of the APC came second and third with about 5000 and 2000 votes respectively.
Aguocha
On his part, Hon. Obinna Aguocha while celebrating his election affirmation by the tribunal extended a hand of fellowship to his lead opponent, Chinedu Orji. The lawmaker who represents Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia State on platform of the Labour Party, while reacting to the tribunal victory in a press statement last Wednesday, said the verdict had confirmed that elections are over, and the next step should be delivering on the campaign promises.
“The journey leading to this moment had been tortuous and difficult, but because of our abiding and unwavering confidence in the good people of Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahi South Federal Constituency of Abia State, it has been promising and warm full valuable lesson. This electoral process has never been about me. It has always been about our people and my belief in the things that matters most to them, in embarking on this journey, I have been guided by the values imbibed in me by my parents. Values anchored on God, values on a lifestyle of service to humanity.
“The 2023 elections are over, the election tribunal has just conformed that this is so, and it is now time to fulfill all those promises that we have made to our people during the complains . The time has come to begin the task of building our communities and working to ensure that the dividends of their struggles and aspirations are brought to bear, and the time to also support our Governor, Dr. Alex Otti,
“However, I cannot do this alone, I am just one person. All hands must be on desk . I call on my compatriots in this struggle, especially my dear friend and brother Hon. Chinedu Orji, immediate past Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, and my worthy competitor for the House Representatives seat. I congratulate him with all my heart for a very spirited contest, which culminates into this judgement, but power belongs to God, and He gives it to whom He pleases.
“I urge all my brothers to please, sheath their swords and join hands with me as we develop our dear federal constituency.
“I must at this juncture, commend the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia for a most just and judicious dispensation of justice . I have always believe that our courts are the last hope of the common man’ and this has been reinforced by the verdict of today. We are all partners in the Nigerian project, and we will continue to use our best endeavour in building a strong and viral democracy and to my Labour Party patriots, I thank you with all my heart”, he said.
Agbese
Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Philip Agbese, following the verdict of the tribunal, affirming his election, called on his opponents to end all unnecessary animosity, and join hands with him for the good of his constituency.
The lawmaker representing Ado/ Okpokwu/ Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue state made the call in a statement after the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal affirmed his victory at the February 25 poll, saying he received that news “with a renewed spirit of patriotism, service, and responsibility to the good and loving people of the Ado/ Okpokwu/ Ogbadibo Fderal Constituency”.
In the statement made available to journalists over the weekend, Agbese said “I understand the disappointment of the opposition. If anything, I believe the entire exercise has shown the depth and breadth of talent, resilience, and never-give-up spirit of the Enone people. However, this is the time to unite and build for the future; a time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature and see each other again. We must listen to one another, make progress, and end the unnecessary animosity. ..
“The challenges that face our constituency will demand the best of us all. We must come together for the sake of our families and neighbours and our community and its future. All problems will yield to the gathered will of a free people. The Bible tells us that to everything there is a season – a time to build, a time to reap, a time to sow. And a time to heal. This is the time to heal our land”.
How many more?
As the tribunals continue in the race against time, many are worried, including members who are facing litigations before the various panels across the country, to the effect that many fates are yet hanging on the balance. How many more would face sack, and how many more would have their elections affirmed therefore remained the question for which answers are very unpredictable.
The warning by pundits, however, is it is not over until it is over. This is against the background that the room for appeal is yet open to all, no matter the side of the coin those involved at the moment find themselves, with many possibilities of going up to the Supreme Court, where the issues involved were of pre-election processes. The waiting thus lingers.
