Simon Atigwe, the member representing the federal seat of Igboeze North/Udenu, has been dismissed by the House of Representatives tribunal.
Additionally, Dennis Nnamdi Agbo of the Labour Party, LP was proclaimed by the tribunal as the true victor of the rerun election in the Igbo Eze North/Udenu Federal seat.
Atigwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was proclaimed the victor of the rerun election that took place on February 3, 2024, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC.
According to INEC, the PDP candidate received 23863 votes, more than Agbo’s 23226.
Agbo, who had previously won the election on February 25, 2023, but had been fired by the appellate court, went to the tribunal to contest Atigwe’s declaration.
His attorneys contended that, among other things, the rerun election was tainted by incorrect results computation and significant violations of the electoral statute.
The Tribunal, presided over by Justice H N Kunaza, ruled on Wednesday, August 14, affirming that the appeal had substance and naming Dennis Nnamdi Agbo the legitimate victor of the Igbo Eze North/Udenu Federal constituency.
The 2000 votes that were added to the PDP candidate were deemed invalid, null, and void by Justice Kunaza’s tribunal. The votes from February 25, 2023, which were 28870 for the LP candidate Rt. Hon. Dennis Agbo and 14229 for the PDP, were reinstated.
Furthermore, it declared that Atigwe was not legitimately elected by the votes cast, since the petitioner received 23,221 and PDP 21,863 votes, and as a result, the certificate of return that was given to Atigwe ought to be revoked and given to Agbo.
