JUST IN: Appeal Court Reinstates Ibe Okwara Osonwa of LP as Arochukwu/Ohafia Rep Member

The Court of Appeal has overturned the decision of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, nullifying the election of Ibe Okwara Osonwa of the Labour Party (LP) as the member representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State in the House of Representatives.

The tribunal had earlier handed victory to Daniel Chimezie Okeke of the All Progressives Congress (APC). However, the Appeal Court’s ruling on Tuesday reinstated Osonwa’s mandate, affirming his victory in the February 25th National Assembly election.

The appellate court, in its judgment, declared that Osonwa’s election was conducted in compliance with the Electoral Act and should not have been nullified by the tribunal.

Recall that Osonwa was initially declared the winner of the Arochukwu/Ohafia federal constituency election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in February. He secured 8,946 votes, while his closest rival, Daniel Chimezie Okeke, received 6,635 votes.

However, Okeke subsequently challenged the election results, alleging irregularities and non-compliance with electoral guidelines. The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, in its ruling, agreed with Okeke’s claims and nullified Osonwa’s election.

Osonwa and his legal team appealed the ruling to the Court of Appeal.