Our Reporter
The bye-election petition tribunal sitting in Abakaliki has declared Hon Dennis Agbo of the Labour Party as the winner of the Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency rerun election. The tribunal held that the Independent National Election Commission wrongly declared the candidate of the PDP, Engr Simon Atigwe, the winner.
The rerun held on February 3rd, 2024 following the verdict of the Court of Appeal in Lagos that there should be a re-contest of the election at few polling units where the results of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress were not entered in the result sheets.
LP’s Agbo led the PDP candidate with over 10, 000 votes before the court ordered the rerun. However, during the rerun, the PDP candidate won. LP alleged widespread manipulation, with videos of electoral officials arrested with pre-filled electoral results circulated virally.
Atigwe who had represented the home federal Constituency of the State’s former governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, since June 2023, put up a spirited fight to retain the seat.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Atigwe winner in the rerun with 23863 votes while Agbo, a banker, garnered 23226 votes.
Agbo had petitioned the outcome at the tribunal, arguing that the election was marred by wrong computation of results, and substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
In the ruling on Wednesday, the tribunal, headed by Justice H N Kunaza, held that the petition had merit and declared Hon Dennis Nnamdi Agbo the actual winner of Igbo Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency.
Justice Kunaza’s panel declared invalid, null and void the 2000 votes added to the PDP candidate and restored the votes of 25th February 2023 of 14229 for the PDP and 28870 for the LP candidate.
It also held that Engr Atigwe was not duly elected by the valid votes cast as the petitioner won with 23,221 and PDP 21,863 votes and as such, the certificate of return issued to Atigwe be withdrawn and issued to Hon Agbo.
