The Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu on Wednesday reinstated Hon. Dennis Nnamdi Agbo of the Labour Party (LP) as the rightful winner of the Igboeze North/Udenu federal constituency seat, upholding an earlier ruling by the House of Representatives tribunal that had sacked Hon. Simon Atigwe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Agbo was initially declared the winner of the February 25, 2023 National Assembly election and sworn into office. However, a re-run election was ordered and held on February 3, 2024, leading to Atigwe being declared the winner.
Following his victory in the re-run, Atigwe was subsequently sworn in to represent the constituency.
Agbo challenged the outcome of the re-run, filing a petition with the second election tribunal, claiming that the process that led to Atigwe’s victory was flawed.
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The tribunal initially ruled in Agbo’s favor, but the case escalated to the Appeal Court after Atigwe sought to overturn the tribunal’s decision.
In its ruling on Wednesday, the Appeal Court consolidated Agbo’s petition, confirming that he was the duly elected representative and invalidating Atigwe’s victory.
The court’s decision effectively removed Atigwe from the House of Representatives, restoring Agbo as the legitimate holder of the federal constituency seat.
This decision marks a significant legal victory for the Labour Party and Dennis Agbo, reinforcing the party’s gains in the 2023 elections. It also brings to a close the protracted legal battle over the representation of the Igboeze North/Udenu constituency.