The Court of Appeal, Owerri Division, sitting in Lagos, has upheld the victory of Erondu Uchenna Erondu Jr, as the member representing Obingwa West Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly. The Appeal Court dismissed the petition brought before it by the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mrs Victoria Onwubiko, challenging the election of the lawmaker, for lack of merit.
In a unanimous judgement delivered on Saturday, the court held that the petitioner failed to prove that the election that produced Erondu Jnr was marred by over-voting and disenchantment of voters. Onwubiko, who prayed the court to re-conduct elections in 82 Polling Units (PUs), alleged that some others were disenfranchised.
But the prayers were rejected by the Appeal Court, which ruled that the petitioner did not lead any evidence on alleged disenfranchisement of voters, maintaining that her lawyer’s address could not be accepted as a substitute to evidence in court.
The Appellate Court further held that the petitioner failed to provide the concerned voters to come to the tribunal to prove that they were disenfranchised from voting on election day. Reacting to the ruling, the Lead Counsel to the lawmaker, Hagler Okorie, hailed the court for ensuring that justice prevailed against all odds, adding that the judgment was a victory for democracy.
In his remarks, the counsel to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Emeka Eze, who thanked the tribunal for ensuring that justice prevailed in the matter, said the verdict was a victory for the rule of law. Meanwhile, Erondu Jnr, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Public Services, has hailed the judgment, noting that it was a victory for democracy and his constituents, whose mandate he regards as sacred. He thanked the court for the ruling, reiterating his commitments to his constituents for keeping faith with him while the case lasted in the court. The Uhie-born legislator promised not to let his constituents down.
