Court of Appeal Upholds Abia PDP lawmaker’s election

In a significant legal development, the Court of Appeal, Owerri Division, sitting in Lagos, has affirmed Erondu Uchenna Erondu Jr as the rightful representative of Obingwa West Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly.

The court decisively dismissed a petition filed by Mrs Victoria Onwubiko of the Labour Party (LP), challenging the election results.

The judges unanimously ruled the petition lacked merit, citing a failure to substantiate claims of over-voting and disenchantment of voters during the election.

Mrs Onwubiko sought to nullify the results and demanded a re-conduction of elections in 82 Polling Units (PUs), alleging voter disfranchisement.

However, the Appeal Court rejected these pleas, emphasizing the absence of concrete evidence to support the claims.

The court held that Onwubiko’s lawyer’s address couldn’t substitute actual evidence and insisted that the petitioner failed to present the purported disenfranchised voters before the tribunal.

In response to the ruling, Hagler Okorie, Lead Counsel to Erondu Jr, expressed satisfaction, commending the court for upholding justice. He described the judgment as a victory for democracy.

Emeka Eze, counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also lauded the tribunal’s commitment to justice, emphasizing that the verdict reinforced the rule of law.

Erondu Jr, Chairman of the House Committee on Public Services, welcomed the decision as a triumph for democracy and his constituents, whom he regards as holding a sacred mandate.

He expressed gratitude to the court, pledging to continue serving his constituents with unwavering dedication.