Tribunal sacks LP Reps Member, declares Onwuegbu winner

The Enugu State National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal on Friday, sacked Barr. Chijioke Okereke of the Labour Party as the House of Representatives member for Aninri/Awgu/Oji-River Federal Constituency.

The three-man panel led by The panel led by Justice Nusirat I. Umar declared Engr. Anayo Onwuegbu (Omeihe-Ukwu), the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, as the duly elected candidate of the February 25th, 2023 poll.

Engr. Onwuegbu had approached the tribunal challenging the declaration of Barr. Okereke on the grounds that he was a stranger to the election as he’s name isn’t on the result sheet as the candidate of the Labour Party.

The panel held that Okereke wasn’t a candidate for the election and accordingly, directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue certificate of return to the PDP Candidate.

Recall that the name of former minority leader of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Toby Okechukwu appeared on the list published by INEC for the election. Also, his name appeared on the result sheet and not that of Okereke.

Okereke had approached a High Court sitting in Enugu to claim the ticket of the Labour Party and a judgement was given in his favour after Hon. Okechukwu distanced himself from being a member of the Labour Party.

Okereke becomes the second member of the Labour Party to be sacked by the tribunal after Prof. Sunday Nnamchi representing Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency in Enugu State was replaced by Hon. Prince Cornelius Nnaji, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, by a three-man panel led by A. M. Abubakar