Rev. Francis Waive and Jonathan Ukohdiko, who respectively represent the federal constituencies of Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Udu, and Isoko in the House of Representatives, have asserted that Nigerian law is unaware of the reasons why the tribunal declared their elections invalid.
In a signed statement, the lawmaker Waive said that Nigerian law does not permit a candidate to be disqualified for failing to have his or her academic credentials published on INEC’s website.
Given that Waive of the All Progressives Congress (APC) received the most valid votes cast, INEC declared her the winner of the election on February 25.
Solomon Ahwinahwi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the victor of the election on Monday by the Delta State and National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, which was in Asaba.
In response to the tribunal’s decision, Waive stated that he had complied with all of INEC’s and the law’s expectations of him and had provided the tribunal with supporting documentation. He also stated that INEC’s act of omission, about which he had written to them, should not be used as a justification for disqualifying him.
A rerun for Enwhe Ward 09 was mandated by the tribunal, which also dismissed Ukohdiko during its Monday meeting in Asaba.
The tribunal further ordered that the certificate of return given to PDP member Ukohdiko be revoked.
The decision was reached in response to a petition filed by Mr. Dickson Ebegbare, a Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate who argued that Ukohdiko had not been legitimately elected by valid ballots.
Ebegbare added that Ward 09 did not have an election.
The legislators who disregarded the tribunal’s ruling also said that they had given their legal counsel instructions to review the ruling and immediately file an appeal.
They also urged their followers and party members to uphold the law while they were on appeal.
