Lewis Chinaemerem Obianyi’s victory as the representative of Ukwa East State constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly has been upheld by the Election petition tribunal in Umuahia, Abia State.
The tribunal, in its ruling, rejected the petition filed by Ekeke Adiele, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), who challenged Obianyi’s election.
Delivering a unanimous judgment on Wednesday, the three-man panel led by Hon. Justice Aderibigbe held that the petitioner, Ekeke, failed to provide sufficient evidence of “Non Compliance” with electoral laws to invalidate the election.
The tribunal also declared that the first petitioner, Mr Okeke Adiele, was not the same person as Mr Adiele Ekeke, who contested the election. Therefore, Okeke Adiele lacked the standing to challenge the election results.
The tribunal further stated that the petitioner failed to meet the burden of proof regarding “Non Compliance” and dismissed the petition on the grounds of lacking merit.
In response to the judgment, Chidozie Ogunji, the lead counsel to Obianyi, commended the tribunal for its decision, stating that justice had prevailed in the matter.
Obianyi himself expressed joy that his electoral mandate had been upheld.
Ekeke Adiele, a former Commissioner in Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ASOPADEC), had contested previous elections under the same name, including the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election for the Abia State House Assembly in Ukwa-East State constituency. However, he filed his petition with the name Mr Okeke Adiele.