Tribunal sacks Labour Party Lawmaker, gives INEC fresh directive

On Wednesday, September 13, the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu State, voided the declaration of Honourable Bright Ngene of the Labour Party as the House of Assembly member representing Enugu South urban constituency.

In voiding the election, the three-man panel headed by A. M. Abubakar ordered a rerun election in the Enugu South Urban constituency within 90 days, Sahara Reporters confirmed.

Why the court sacked Labour Party lawmaker Ngene

Giving reason for the nullification of the election, the tribunal said it was based on the grounds that the number of votes credited to the said winner of the election, was fewer than the number of disenfranchised voters in the constituency.

Accordingly, the tribunal held that the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) was wrong to have declared Bright Ngene the winner of the election, adding that the election umpire should have declared the election inconclusive and gone for a re-run at the units where it didn't conduct the election based on the margin of lead.

In another report, Honourable Atta Achief Thaddeus, the House of Representatives member-elect, Eti-Osa Federal Constituency, has debunked media reports that the parliamentary election petition tribunal in Lagos state cancelled his election victory.

Legit.ng reported earlier that the decision by the tribunal was made on Monday, September 11.

The court ruled that a supplementary election should be conducted in 32 polling units with a deadline of 90 days.