The National Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, has dismissed a petition filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chinedum Orji, against the member representing the Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency, Obi Aguocha, of the Labour Party.
Orji, who is the former speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly and son of former governor Theodore Orji, approached the tribunal to seek redress after Aguocha was declared winner.
He prayed the court to nullify Aguocha’s victory, claiming that he was not dully nominated as the LP candidate and was not a registered member of the party and therefore was not qualified to contest the election.
The tribunal led by Justice Abubakar Kutigi, held that the membership of a political was a pre-election matter, adding that the tribunal lacks the jurisdiction to entertain the matter, which should have been decided before the election.
The tribunal equally struck out the allegation of overvoting against the respondent by the petitioner, saying that he failed to prove it beyond every reasonable doubt.
