The National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in
Umuahia, Abia state, has nullified the election of Senator Orji Uzor
Kalu and ordered the INEC to conduct a supplementary poll within 90
days.
The supplementary poll will hold in eight wards in Arochukwu, Ohafia and
Isuikwuato and Umunneiochi council areas where election did not hold or
votes were cancelled illegally.
PDP candidate, Chief Mao Ohuabunwa had petitioned the tribunal
challenging the declaration of the APC candidate, Kalu, as the winner of
the election.
Delivering judgment in a petition filed by Ohuabunwa , against Kalu; the
three-man tribunal headed by Justice Cornelius Akintayo in a unanimous
verdict read by Justice P.C Igwe, held that INEC failed to conduct the
election in compliance with the electoral laws.
“The petitioner has proved that the Abia North senatorial election is
invalid and the (mandate) of the second respondent (Kalu) is null and
void and of no effect. By the pieces of evidence both oral and
documentary we hold that the number of votes in areas where election did
not hold or votes cancelled were in excess of the margin of lead,” the
tribunal said.
The tribunal further faulted INEC for not giving good reasons for
cancelling votes in some wards in three council areas. It also ordered
INEC to add 349 votes to votes already scored by Ohuabunwa and deduct
149 votes from Kalu in Bende council area of the senatorial zone.
Following the judgment of the tribunal, Ohuabunwa now has 21,152 votes
and Kalu, 31,105 votes; going into the supplementary poll
The difference between the number of votes scored by Ohuabunwa and Kalu
was 10,400 which is lower than the number of cancelled votes which
necessitated for supplementary poll as stipulated in rule 33(e) of INEC
regulation.
Counsel to Ohuabunwa, Mike Onyeka, told the tribunal that 38,526 votes
were cancelled during collation by the returning officer.
Ohuabunwa’s counsel, Mike Onyeka hailed the tribunal for the judgment in
favor of his client.
