NASS poll: APGA candidate urges tribunal to declare him winner

Chief Ekene Enefe, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate in the Feb.23 House of Representatives election has urged the Anambra Elections Tribunal to declare him the winner of the election.

He contested the election with the hope to represent Oyi/Anyamelum Federal Constituency of the state.

Enefe made the plea in Awka on Friday in the petition he filed against, Mr Vincent Ofumelu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, who was declared the winner of the contest.

In the election declared by INEC, Enefe scored 17, 185 votes, behind Ofumelu’s 26, 195 votes in the election contested by 12 other candidates.

He also petitioned PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others.

In the petition marked, EPT/AN/HR/02/2019, filed by his counsel, Mr Emmanuel Onyibor, Enefe said Ofumelu did not garner the majority of lawful votes cast in the election.

He alleged multiple voting and non-adherence to use of Smart Card Reader in Omor ward 1, Anaku 1, Ifite-Ogwuari ward I and II, Igbakwu Ward, Omasi Ward, Umerum, Umueje and Umubo as some of his grounds.

The petitioner said he would rely on the original copies of FORM EC8C (II); FORM EC8D (II) and Form EC8E (II), to be produced by the INEC, to prove his case at the trial.

Enefe said: “The grounds upon which this petition is predicated, and or upon which the declaration made in favour of the 1st respondent as winner of the election is questioned are the following:

“The 1st respondent was not validly returned as winner of the election since he did not score the majority of the valid votes cast at the election.

“Even as 26, 195 votes had been attributed to him, the 1st respondent never really earned or secured them lawfully.

“The gist of the petitioner’s case is that, by means of multiple voting and claiming unearned votes in the election, the 1st respondent had by ignoble means emerged winner in the election.”

He said Ofumelu’s victory was without securing the majority of lawful votes in the election.

Enefe, therefore, urged the tribunal to make a declaration that, Ofumelu did not secure majority of the lawfully votes cast at the election to emerge  member representing Oyi /Ayamelum Federal Constituency.

The petitioner also sought a further declaration of the tribunal that, it was him that had secured the highest number of valid votes cast in the election.

“A declaration of Honourable Tribunal that in the circumstances, the petitioner stands elected as the winner of the aforesaid election.”

The counsel further sought the order of tribunal that the 6th respondent (INEC) issued the certificate of return in favour of the petitioner in the circumstances.