An Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Calabar, on Wednesday, sacked a member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency, Hon. Alex Egbona.
In a suit filed by the former speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly and Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, John Gaul-Lebo had filed a suit challenging Egbona’s victory in the February 23rd, 2019 elections and asked the court to nullify the exercise on the basis of “Massive Irregularities”.
Delivering judgment in the petition with number EPT/CAL/HR/11/2019 on Wednesday, chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Vincent Agabata, declared that as of February 23, 2019, Egbona was not qualified to contest the election.
He ruled that the votes scored in the election by Egbona were “defiant votes and therefore invalid and unlawful.”
Justice Agbata also ruled that the candidate of the PDP, John Gaul-Lebo, “scored the highest number of valid votes in the election and so, the certificate of return erroneously issued to Egbona should be withdrawn forthwith and issued to John Gaul-Lebo.”
