APC Overcomes PDP and LP as Court Upholds Election Result

The All Progressives Congress (APC) senator for Abia-North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has been declared the winner by the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division. The National Assembly Petitions Tribunal in Umuahia, which had earlier rejected the petitions of the Labour Party (LP)’s Nnamdi Iro Orji and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s Mao Ohuabunwa, for lack of merit, was affirmed by the Appeal court headed by Justice Abiri yesterday in a unanimous decision.

The court declared that the election of the former governor of Abia State met with the rules of the Electoral Act, thus preserving Kalu’s victory for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Additionally, it refuted the petitioners’ claims that the election was not held in more than 120 voting places, primarily in the local government areas of Ohafia and Arochukwu.

The court also dismissed Iro Orji’s petition to disqualify Senator Kalu for purportedly acknowledging in front of the Federal High Court that he had been found guilty of fraud.

According to the panel’s decision, Senator Kalu could not have been legally convicted under section 66 of the Nigerian constitution because the supposed conviction was overturned.

The panel decided that the PDP and LP appellants had not provided sufficient evidence to support their claims that elections were not held in certain polling places, therefore dismissing the appeals of Iro and Ohuabunwa.

According to the court’s interpretation of the constitution, Kalu was entitled to run for office because the Supreme Court had overturned his conviction and trial. Three other arguments put forth by the LP candidate were rejected in Kalu’s favor.

At Ohafia, Mr Chinedu Nnamdi, the INEC returning officer for Abia North, proclaimed Kalu, the APC chairman, the winner.

The Senate Committee on Privatization and Commercialization chairman and two-term lawmaker received 30,805 votes, defeating Nnamdi and Ohuabunwa, who received 27,540 and 15,175 votes, respectively, in the hotly contested senate polls held on February 25. The results were announced by INEC.