Again, PDP, Labour Party lose at tribunal

The petition of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Mao Ohuabunwa and Labour Party’s Nnamdi Iro-Orji were dismissed by the three-man panel led by Justice Samson Paul-Gang for lacking merit.

The panel had a unanimous ruling on Tuesday, September 12.

The court said the victory of Kalu, the representative of the All Progressives Congress complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

The judges also faulted the arguments of both petitioners who claim elections didn’t hold in over 120 polling units mainly in Ohafia and Arochukwu Local Government Areas of the zone.

Iro-Orji and Ohuabunwa who came second and third respectively in separate suits had asked the tribunal to overturn the election of the former Abia Governor as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, alleging irregularities, The Punch reports.

The tribunal also dismissed the petition of the PDP and Labour Party and the argument that the total number of registered voters in the allegedly affected polling units was far above the margin of win between Kalu and the first and second runners-up.

Kalu who currently presides as the Chairman Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation was declared winner by INEC in the keenly contested February 25 senatorial polls having scored 30,805 votes to defeat Iro-Orji and Ohuabunwa who got 27,540 and 15,175 respectively.