The House of Representatives Election Tribunal has nullified the election of Rt. Hon. Simon Atigwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had been representing the Igboeze North/Udenu federal constituency. The tribunal has declared Rt. Hon. Dennis Nnamdi Agbo of the Labour Party (LP) as the rightful winner of the constituency's seat.
The re-run election held on February 3rd, 2024, had initially seen the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declare Hon. Atigwe victorious, with 23,863 votes, narrowly defeating Hon. Agbo, who garnered 23,226 votes. However, this outcome was immediately contested by Agbo, who had previously won the initial election held on February 25th, 2023. Agbo’s victory was overturned by an appellate court, prompting the re-run election earlier this year.
In his petition to the tribunal, Hon. Agbo argued that the re-run election was fraught with irregularities, including wrong computation of results and substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act. He contended that these irregularities significantly affected the outcome, leading to an incorrect declaration of Hon. Atigwe as the winner.
The tribunal, headed by Justice H. N. Kunaza, delivered its verdict on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, ruling in favor of Hon. Agbo. The tribunal found merit in the petition, particularly in the claim that 2,000 votes had been unlawfully added to the PDP candidate's tally. Upon revisiting the figures, the panel declared that the correct results should have reflected 14,229 votes for the PDP and 28,870 votes for the Labour Party candidate in the original February 25th, 2023, election.
Justice Kunaza's ruling emphasized that Hon. Simon Atigwe was not duly elected by valid votes, and the tribunal declared his election invalid, null, and void. The tribunal ordered the withdrawal of the certificate of return previously issued to Atigwe and instructed that it be awarded to Hon. Agbo instead.
This ruling is expected to have significant political ramifications in Enugu State, particularly within the PDP, which has seen its representation reduced in favor of the rising Labour Party. The decision also underscores the judiciary's role in upholding electoral integrity in Nigeria, particularly in cases where irregularities are evident.
As Hon. Agbo prepares to take his rightful seat in the House of Representatives, many are watching to see how this ruling will influence the political landscape in Igboeze North/Udenu federal constituency and beyond.
