The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday nullified the election of Senator George Sekibo of the Peoples Democratic Party representing Rivers East Senatorial District in the National Assembly and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct fresh election within 60 days.
The Justice Ali Gumel-led panel of the Court of Appeal set aside the judgment of the National/State Legislative Houses Election Petition Tribunal in Apo, Abuja, which had dismissed the petition by the All Progressives Congress’ candidate, Andrew Uchendi against Sekibo’s election.
The appeal court also delivered similar judgments setting aside the election of two other members of the Peoples Democratic Party representing their respective Rivers State constituencies in the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives members sacked were Kingsley Chindah of Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, and Blessing Nsiegbe of Port Harcourt 2 Federal Constituency.
Chindah’s election was challenged at the tribunal by the APC candidate, Anthony Okocha, while that of Nsugbe was challenged by Collins Owhondah.
INEC had declared Sekibo and the two other members of the House of Representatives winner of the March 28, 2015 National Assembly election.
But dissatisfied with the results declared by INEC, the APC and their candidates had filed their various petitions asking the tribunal to cancel the elections and order a rerun on account of alleged irregularities.
Justice Mu’azu Pindiga-led tribunal in its judgment delivered on October 12, dismissed the petitions as it held that the petitioners failed to prove their cases with substantial evidence.
The tribunal held that the petitioners brought “improper witnesses”, who only gave hearsay evidence.
The Justice Pindiga-led tribunal also noted that some of the allegations were criminal in nature and thus required proof beyond reasonable doubt.
But in the three judgments on Thursday, the Justice Gumel-led panel of the appeal court upheld the appeals against the tribunal’s verdicts filed on behalf of the the appellants by their lawyer, B. E. I. Nwofor (SAN).
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