LABOUR Party (LP) has reclaimed the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency seat in Delta State.
On Thursday, September 14, the Court of Appeal in Abuja sacked Ndudi Elumelu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the 2023 election for the constituency and declared LP’s candidate, Ngozi Okolie the winner.
The Appeal Court, in its judgement, set aside the decision of the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal in Asaba that declared Elumelu the constituency seat winner.
The ICIR reported in July that the tribunal declared Elumelu, the former minority leader of the House of Representatives, winner of the constituency seat and nullified the election of the LP’s Ngozi Okolie.
Okolie had been inaugurated as the member representing the constituency.
In a petition referenced EPT/DL/HR/06/2023, Elumelu had asked the tribunal to disqualify Okolie for not being adequately sponsored by the LP.
He added that Okolie did not resign as a public office holder before contesting the election.
In the judgment, the three-member tribunal panel headed by A.Z. Mussa nullified the declaration of Okolie as the election winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Tribunal held that the LP did not duly sponsor Okolie and that he was not a party member as of May 28, 2022, when the primary that made her fly the party’s ticket at the election was held.
After the tribunal’s judgement, Okolie approached the Appeal Court to challenge the decision.
In the election, Elumelu polled 33,456 votes, while the LP candidate got 53,879 votes to emerge the winner, as announced by INEC returning officer, Kenneth Ibe, a professor.
A reporter with the ICIR
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