Tribunal dismisses petition against Delta Rep, Ezechi
The State and National Assemblies Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba on Monday dismissed a petition seeking to nullify the election of the member of the House of Representatives, representing Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency of Delta State.
Ezechi is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The petition was filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the February 25 House of Representatives election, Mr Johnson Opone.
Opone and his party, APC, sought the relief, claiming that elections did not take place in the Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency made up of Ndokwa East, Ndokwa West and Ukwuani Local Government Areas.
They called three witnesses who all alleged that no election took place in the Federal Constituency.
However, thus was contradicted by Chief Opone himself who said there were elections, but that he was contesting the result declared by INEC in Ukwuani LGA.
In a unanimous judgement read by Justice Nwankwo, the three-man Tribunal panel dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.
It ruled that the Petitioners could not prove their case beyond reasonable doubt and awarded a N500,000 cost in favour of Hon Ezechi, INEC and PDP.
Speaking on the judgement, a legal representative of Hon Nnamdi Ezechi, Mr Chike Amudo, said it was based on the truth of the matter
He insisted that the people of Ndokwa/Ukwuani voted massively for his client and it was a mere waste of time for anyone to challenge the outcome of the election.
In his reaction, Hon Nnamdi Ezechi, thanked God for yet another legal victory, having won the two previous cases seeking to nullify his election.
Hon Ezechi thanked the Judiciary for standing for the truth in all his cases and appreciated the State, Governor, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, the Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme and PDP for their support while the hearing of the petitions lasted.
He also thanked the Ndokwa people for their continuous support during and after the election.
Ezechi specifically thanked the former Governor, His Excellency Sen Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa for his fatherly role and support always.
He said the petitions were unnecessary distractions.
He added that he was convinced that they would not succeed because his mandate was divinely rooted.
He called on his opponents to join him to make the Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency better.
