The Appeal Court, Abuja, yesterday set aside an appeal filed by Senator George Sekibo challenging his removal as a senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District in the National Assembly by the state election tribunal.
In the judgement, the three-man panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro held that Sekibo’s appeal lacked merit.
It maintained that he did not show facts while the lower court decision should not subsist.
Giving grounds under which the appeal was struck out, the panel held that Sekibo only reproduced his closing remarks at the end of the hearing at the tribunal, but did not challenge the decision reached by the tribunal.
The Apex court declared Hon. Andrew Uchendu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the December 2016 Assembly election.
The court, thereby, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue Uchendu a fresh Certificate of Return.
The Rivers state tribunal had removed Sekibo following a petition by Uchenna alleging irregularities in the election.
Not satisfied with the judgement of the tribunal, Sekibo approached the appellate court to upturn the decision of the tribunal.
The appeal with the number CA/A/EPT/487/2017, dated July 20, 2017 and filed same day by his Counsel, Emmanuel Ukala, contains 23 grounds upon which the judgement of the tribunal was being challenged.
