The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has reinstated the Labour Party House of Representatives member, Ngozi Okolie, as the duly elected member representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency elections.
The Appellate court on Thursday set aside the judgement of the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal which had declared Ndudi Elumelu of the People’s Democratic Party as winner of the election.
In its ruling, the court declared Ngozi Okolie of the Labour Party (LP) as the authentic winner of the election.
It faulted the tribunal for voiding Okolie’s election and proceeded to dismiss the petition filed by Elumelu before the trial tribunal and on which the voided judgment was given.
The Court of Appeal agreed with lawyer to the Labour Party, Mahmud Magaji (SAN) that contrary to the finding of the tribunal, Okolie was duly nominated and sponsored by his Party and that he resigned his appointment as a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Delta State Government as required by the Constitution.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared that Okolie garnered 53,879 votes to defeat his closest rival and then incumbent representative, Hon Ndudi Elumelu, who polled 33,456 votes.
But the tribunal sacked Okolie on the grounds that the politician was not duly nominated by the Labour Party.
However, in its decision on Thursday, the appeal court overruled the tribunal.
It held that the LP candidate was validly nominated and sponsored contrary to the findings of the lower court.
