Days after defeating candidate of the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Nnamdi Iroh-Oji, at the Appeal Court, senator representing Abia-North zone, Orji Uzor Kalu, yesterday, defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Mao Ohuabunwa, at the appellate court.
According to the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, presided over by Abiri JCA, the appellants, Ohuabunwa, woefully failed to prove the allegation of disenfranchisement, whereas the respondents proved that elections were held in all polling units and tendered form EC40G to explain why there was no voting in the affected polling units.
“The appellants did not plead the total number of people who picked up their voter registration cards.” “The appeal was dismissed with costs,” Abiri stated.
The court upheld the judgment of the National Assembly petitions Tribunal, Umuahia, which had earlier dismissed the petition of Ohuabunwa and LP’s Iro-Orji for lacking merit.
The appellate court said the election of the former Abia State governor complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act. It also faulted the arguments of both petitioners that election did not hold in over 120 polling units mainly in Ohafia and Arochukwu local government areas.
The court also set aside the prayers of Ohuabunwa to disqualify Kalu for having allegedly admitted before the Federal High Court that he was convicted of fraud.
Kalu had, on Monday, defeated LP’s Iroh-Oji at the Appeal Court. Iroh-Oji had pleaded with the court to nullify Kalu’s victory because the senator admitted to having been convicted.
Kalu, chieftain of the All Progressives Congress was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning Officer for Abia North, Chinedu Nnamdi, at Ohafia.
The two-term lawmaker and chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, was declared winner by INEC having scored 30,805 votes to defeat Iroh-Oji and Ohuabunwa who polled 27,540 and 15,175 votes respectively.
In 2019, Kalu had retired Ohuabunwa from the Senate. He had also lost at the court when he attempted to overturn Kalu’s victory.