Appeal Court sacks PDP federal lawmaker in Imo, orders fresh election in 90 days

An Appeal Court sitting in Owerri, Imo State capital on Saturday sacked a federal lawmaker representing Isiala Mbano/Onuimo/Okigwe federal constituency of the state under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Obinna Onwubuariri and ordered fresh election in 90 days.

Chairman of the Appeal Panel, Justice R.N Pemu, who read the judgment said that the February 23 election that pruduced Onwubuariri was not in tandem with the electoral act of 2010, as amended.

The appellate court said the Election Petition Tribunal was right to have ordered a fresh election in the federal constituency.

According to Pemu, the petitioner, Miriam Onuoha of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was able to prove her allegations of ove-voting, mutilation of figures and violence which marred the election.

He therefore ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return it had earlier issued Onwubuariri and conduct a fresh election in the entire federal constituency within 90 days.

The tribunal had sacked Onwubuariri, but the lawmaker dissatisfied with the judgment appealed the judgment.

The court also nullified the election of Uju Onwudiwe of the Action Alliance (AA) representing Njaba state constituency and ordered fresh elections in 12 polling units within 90 days.