By Unegbu, Victor-Wallace.
The Imo State National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja in a unanimous decision has sacked the member representing Ideato Federal Constituency, Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The election tribunal sitting in mararaba high court ruled that PDP has no candidate for the election as the PDP primaries purported to have taken place in Ideato federal constituency was a kangaroo arrangement that didn't follow both the party's constitution and the relevant electoral laws.
The three man panel ruled that Ugochinyere was not validly nominated by the PDP to contest the February 25th Federal Constituency Election. In it's lead judgement delivered by the chairman, Justice Anthony Olotu Akpovi, the tribunal noted that documentary and oral evidence that were tendered before the tribunal established that the primary election of the PDP that purportedly produced held at Aladimma Shopping Mall a location outside of Ideato Federal Constituency thus invalidating the entire process. The tribunal held that an invalid primary cannot produce a valid candidate.
The tribunal also ruled that Ugochinyere was wrongly declared winner without the conduct of election in 4 wards of Ideato federal constituency, as the number of registered voters in the 4 wards is greater than the margin of win.
This therefore is a testament that Ugochinyere Ikenga connived with the immediate past national commissioner and chairman of information and voter education committee, Festus Okoye to smuggle his name into the INEC list as candidate for the house of representatives elections in ideato federal constituency under the platform of the PDP despite the fact that the party didn't hold any valid primary.
Also, in the election proper, while election was unable to hold in 4 wards totally 55 polling units where the ugochinyere's arm of the unknown gunmen didn't allow INEC officials to conduct elections in the federal constituency, Festus Okoye compelled the returning officer to declare Ugochinyere winner instead of declaring the election inconclusive and call for a rerun according to the doctrine of margin of lead.
Ugochinyere and Festus Okoye's hatchet job to disenfranchise the good people of ideato north and south federal constituency, and openly rob them of their power to elect candidate of their choice has been exposed and truncated by the firm hands of the judiciary.
Despite the many Ugochinyere's trademark intimidations and blackmails on the Tribunal, the Justice Akpovi led Tribunal stood it's ground to ensure justice is served by constitutionally sacking Ikenga Ugochinyere and ordering for a rerun between APC and LP in the 4 wards where elections didn't hold.
