Tribunal Sacks Another Labour Party Lawmaker in Enugu

 Oche Alechenu __

The National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Enugu sacked have Hon. Chijioke Okereke, the House of Representatives member representing Aninri/Awgu/Oji-River Federal Constituency during the weekend, a member of the Labour Party (LP).

Justice Nusirat I. Umar led three-man panel declared Chief Anayo Onwuegbu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the election held on February 25, 2023.

It was reports that Onwuegbu who is an engineer, approached the Electoral Tribunal challenging the victory of Hon. Okereke earlier before now. The said Hon. Onwuegbu of the PDP petitioned and anchored his prayers on the grounds that Okereke’s name was not on the result sheet as the candidate of the Labour Party (LP).

The Tribunal, in the ruling, held that Hon. Okereke was not duly elected because it was not his name that was stamped on the result sheet. The Electoral Panelanel hence directed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue a certificate of return to the PDP candidate as the authentic winner of the election.

In our findings, it is gathered that the name of former minority leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, that was on the list as published by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the election. Noted, his name appeared on the result sheet and not that of Hon. Okereke.

Okechukwu had, before the election, distances himself from the Labour Party (LP), creating the road for the Victory of Hon. Okereke, who runed  to the High Court sitting in Enugu where the court ruled in his favour making him the standard-bearer of Labour Party (LP).

It is worthy of note that, out of eight House of Representatives seats in Enugu State, the Labour Party won seven while the Peoples Democratic Party won just one in the last general election.