HEADLINE
Tribunal sacks APC, PDP Reps members in Delta
From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, Delta State, on Monday nullified the election of a two term member of the House of Representatives on the platform of the All Progressive Congress, Mr. Francis Waive.
The tribunal declared the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 election, Mr. Solomon Ahwinahwi as winner to represent Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu federal constituency.
In another judgement, the tribunal ordered a re-run for Enwhe ward 09 of Isoko federal constituency, and directed that the Certificate of Return issued to Mr. Jonathan Ukohdiko of the PDP as winner of the Isoko federal constituency election should be set aside.
Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for Isoko federal constituency, Dickson Ebegbare had approached the tribunal, insisting that Ukohdiko was not duly elected by lawful votes and that no election held in the contentious ward 09.
In Waive’s case, the tribunal nullified the election for improper documentation on his part.
Reacting in a statement, Waive rejected the judgement and vowed to appeal it at the appellate court, insisting that the grounds for his disqualification were not known to Nigerian law.
He insisted that the non-publication of his academic qualification which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on its portal is not a ground for disqualification of a candidate, and as such, it’s alien to Nigerian law.
The lawmaker said he fulfilled all the requirements of INEC and the law as expected of him and provided documented evidence to the tribunal, adding that INEC’s act of omission which he wrote to them should not be a ground for his disqualification.
He called his supporters and party faithful to remain calm and law-abiding as he goes on appeal to test the judgment.