In a dramatic turn of events, the House of Representatives tribunal has officially ousted Simon Atigwe, the representative for Igboeze North/Udenu federal constituency, from his position. The tribunal has declared Dennis Nnamdi Agbo of the Labour Party as the rightful victor of the contentious rerun election held on February 3, 2024.
Initially, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had announced that Atigwe, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), won the rerun election with 23,863 votes against Agbo’s 23,226. However, Agbo challenged this result, asserting that the election was marred by significant irregularities, including inaccurate result computations and violations of the electoral act.
In a ruling by Justice H.N. Kunaza on August 14, the tribunal determined that Agbo’s petition had merit, concluding that the additional 2,000 votes counted for Atigwe were invalid. The tribunal reinstated the original February 25, 2023 election results, which indicated Agbo’s victory with 28,870 votes to Atigwe’s 14,229. As a result, the tribunal ordered the withdrawal of Atigwe’s certificate of return and instructed that it be issued to Agbo.
This ruling marks a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s political landscape, highlighting the ongoing battles over electoral integrity and the importance of adherence to electoral laws. The outcome could have significant implications for future elections in the region as political tensions continue to rise.
