Tribunal orders election rerun in Banky W’s federal constituency

The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square has ordered a rerun in Eti-Osa Federal Constituency after a court nullified the victory of Thaddeus Atta of the Labour Party.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must hold a second election in 33 polling units where polls did not take place within 90 days, according to the tribunal’s lead judgment, which was handed down late Monday night.

On Tuesday morning, Atta responded to the verdict with a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, stressing that there was no cause for alarm and that the court had not “sacked” him.

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He wrote: “The Tribunal has simply ordered a re-run (supplementary election) in the 32 polling units where elections did not hold. We will continue working for Etiosa. I urge constituents to keep calm as we are unshaken. We will get through this together,” he said.

“No cause for alarm! I am here to clarify that I was not sacked. The Tribunal has simply ordered a re-run (supplementary election) in the 32 polling units where elections did not hold. We will continue working for Etiosa. I urge constituents to keep calm as we are unshaken.”

Both Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro (IBO) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Bankole Wellington (Banky W), the PDP candidate who finished second in the polls, filed petitions to contest the February 25 elections.

Atta, who received 24,075 votes, was proclaimed the winner of that election by INEC, with Banky W and IBO receiving 18,668 and 16,901 votes, respectively.