In a stunning development, the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Enugu State has invalidated the victory of Hon. Okey Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 House of Assembly poll for Nkanu East constituency. The tribunal’s ruling, delivered on Friday, detailed that the electoral process did not meet the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.
The independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously declared Mbah as the winner of the election. However, the three-man panel, led by Honourable Justice Adie Attoe Onyebueke, found in favor of the petition filed by the Labour Party candidate, Surv. Okwudiri Nnaji, consequently declaring the election inconclusive.
The tribunal has ordered a rerun in selected polling units in Ugbawka and Owo wards. It highlighted discrepancies where the number of votes exceeded the number of registered and accredited voters in those areas, thereby questioning the validity of INEC’s return.
In a directive to INEC, the tribunal has instructed the electoral umpire to conduct a rerun election in the affected polling units within 90 days.
