Tribunal sacks PDP lawmaker Obinna Onwubuariri – TheNigerialawyer

The National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal in Owerri on
Wednesday sacked a member of the House of Representatives, Obinna
Onwubuariri.

Until the nullification of his mandate, Onwubuariri represented
Isiala Mbano/Onuimo/Okigwe federal constituency of Imo State on the
platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

He was first elected into the House of Representatives in
2015.

In her judgment which lasted for about two hours, chairman of
the Panel, R. Harriman, ordered the Independent National Electoral
Commission to conduct a fresh poll in the federal constituency
within 90 days from the date of the judgment.

According to the Jurist, the petitioner, Princess Miriam Onuoha,
of the All Progressives Congress, was able prove her petition
beyond reasonable doubt.

The jurist said that INEC and the first respondent were unable
to defend the allegations of over-voting, mutilation of figures,
and the reduction of the petitioner’s votes preferred against them
by the petitioner.

The panel, which ordered a fresh poll in the federal
constituency, instructed that the first respondent’s certificate of
return should be withdrawn immediately.

Harriman said the declaration of the lawmaker who is a member of
the Peoples Democratic Party, was done in utter disregard of the
Electoral Act, as amended.

The petitioner’s aide, Israel Onyema, told newsmen after the
judgment that his principal would have been happier if the tribunal
had declared the APC candidate the winner of the February 21
poll.

Onyema contended that his principal won the election in the
three local government areas that make up the federal
constituency.

An aide to the sacked lawmaker said his principal would appeal
the judgment.

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