In this report, it is stated that Chief Obi Aguocha, a member of the Labour Party representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency in Abia State, has won a legal battle against the former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Engr Chinedum Orji, at the National Election Petition Tribunal in Umuahia, Abia State. Here are the key points from the report:
- Chief Obi Aguocha, the Labour Party candidate, emerged victorious in the House of Representatives election, having been declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with 48,199 votes, while his opponent, Rt Hon Engr Chinedum Orji, who ran as the PDP candidate, received 35,196 votes.
- Dissatisfied with the election outcome, Chinedum Orji filed a petition at the National Election Petition Tribunal, seeking to nullify Aguocha’s victory. He argued that Aguocha was not duly nominated as the Labour Party candidate and therefore was not qualified to contest the election. Orji also claimed there was overvoting in some polling units that favored Aguocha.
- However, the tribunal, led by Justice Abubakar Kutigi, ruled in favor of Chief Obi Aguocha. The tribunal held that the issue of a candidate’s party membership is a pre-election matter and falls outside its jurisdiction. Additionally, the tribunal found that Orji failed to prove that Aguocha was not duly nominated by the Labour Party, emphasizing that the candidate’s selection is an internal party matter.
In essence, Chief Obi Aguocha retained his victory in the election as the representative of Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency in Abia State after the National Election Petition Tribunal dismissed the petition filed by his opponent, Chinedum Orji.