Ikenga Ugochinyere was removed from office as a representative by the Imo State National and State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal.
Ugochinyere ran for office under the PDP (People’s Democratic Party) banner.
As the tribunal found Ugochinyere ineligible to run for office in the federal constituency of Ideato North/South, a new election must be held in the state within 90 days.
Ugochinyere received 13, 026 votes, making him the victor of the race according to INEC.
Abazu Benson, candidate of the All Progressives Congress, received 2,368 votes, placing him behind Obi Chigozie of the Labour Party, LP, who received 5,696 votes.
Benson, a candidate for the APC, filed a petition with the tribunal bearing the identifier EPT/IM/HR/10/2023.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ugochinyere, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Obi Paschal Chigozie, and the Labour Party (LP) were the first through fifth respondents.
The APC candidate claimed in the appeal that Ugochinyere lacked the necessary qualifications to run for office and that any votes cast for him should be nullified.
According to the APC candidate, the PDP held their primary poll in a location outside the constituency, which is in violation of the Electoral Act 2022.
The three-person tribunal panel that met in Nasarawa State on Sunday unanimously decided that Ugochinyere had not been legitimately nominated by the PDP to run for election.
Justice Anthony Akpovi, who presided over the hearing and delivered the ruling, ordered the electoral umpire to hold the runoff election within 90 days.
In addition, the tribunal stated that the PDP and its candidate should be disqualified from the runoff vote.
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