The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Umuahia has upheld the election victory of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, the Senator representing Abia-North Senatorial District, in the February 25 polls.
In a unanimous ruling on Tuesday, a three-man panel led by Justice Samson Paul-Gang dismissed the petitions of the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Mao Ohuabunwa and the Labour Party’s (LP) Nnamdi Iro Orji as lacking merit.
The court, while upholding the victory of Kalu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said that the election of the former Senate Chief Whip complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The tribunal judges also faulted the arguments of both petitioners that the election was not held in over 120 polling units, mainly in the Ohafia and Arochukwu Local Government Areas of the zone.
Nnamdi Iro and Ohuabunwa of LP and PDP, who came second and third, respectively, in separate suits had asked the court to overturn the election of the former Abia Governor as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, alleging irregularities.
Also kicked out were the petitions of the PDP and LP that the total number of registered voters in the allegedly affected polling units was far above the margin of victory between Kalu and the first and second runners-up.
The court, in its constitutional interpretation, also validated Kalu’s eligibility to contest the election, stating that his trial and conviction were quashed by the Supreme Court.
Two other matters filed by the Labour Party challenging Kalu’s election were also interpreted and laid to rest by the tribunal judges, who thus declared Kalu the duly elected Senator of Abia North.
Recall that Sen. Kalu was declared the winner by the INEC returning officer for Abia North, Mr. Chinedu Nnamdi, at Ohafia.
Kalu, a two-time lawmaker who currently presides as the Chairman of the Senate Committee won the February 25 senatorial polls, having scored 30,805 votes to defeat Nnamdi of LP, who got 27,540 votes, and Ohuabunwa of PDP who got 15,175 votes to come third.
