The bye-election petition tribunal in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has overturned the election of Engr Simon Atigwe as the House of Representatives member for Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, declaring Labour Party candidate Hon. Dennis Agbo as the rightful winner of the rerun election held on February 3, 2024.
In a pivotal ruling, the bye-election petition tribunal in Abakaliki has nullified the election of Engr Simon Atigwe, the incumbent representative for Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency.
The tribunal declared Hon. Dennis Agbo of the Labour Party as the legitimate winner of the rerun election conducted on February 3, 2024.
Agbo had initially won his seat in the 2023 general election, but his victory was subsequently annulled by the Court of Appeal.
The appeal, lodged by the All Progressives Congress (APC), highlighted incomplete results from ten polling units, missing scores for the APC. This led to a court-ordered rerun in those units.
Despite leading the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate by over 10,000 votes before the rerun, Agbo’s victory was contested.
The tribunal’s decision to uphold Agbo’s win reaffirms the strength of his initial lead and the integrity of the electoral process.
This ruling not only reinstates Agbo as the representative for Igboeze North/Udenu but also underscores the crucial role of fair and thorough electoral processes.