Tribunal sacks 36-year-old PDP federal lawmaker, orders fresh poll

The national assembly election petition tribunal in Owerri, on Wednesday, sacked Obinna Onwubuariri, a member of the house of representatives.

Onwubuariri, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had been declared the winner of the Isiala Mbano/Onuimo/Okigwe federal constituency election that held in February.

Delivering judgement, R Harriman, chairman of the tribunal, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh poll in the federal constituency within 90 days from the date of the judgment.

Harriman said the declaration of the lawmaker, who had been a member of the house of representatives since 2015,  was done in “utter disregard of the electoral act”.

According to the tribunal, Miriam Onuoha, the petitioner and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was able to prove her petition beyond a reasonable doubt.

The tribunal said INEC and the first respondent were unable to defend the allegations of over-voting, mutilation of figures, and the reduction of the petitioner’s votes preferred against them.

The certificate of return presented to Onwubuariri be withdrawn immediately

Speaking with journalists after the ruling, Isreal Onyema, counsel to the petitioner, said Onuoha “would have been happier if the tribunal had declared her winner of the election”.