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…set to appeal ruling
The Rivers State National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal has nullified the election of the senator representing Rivers East senatorial district, George Thompson Sekibo, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), while ruling in favour of his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, Chief Andrew Uchendu.
The three-man tribunal affirmed the petition of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Uchendu, declaring him winner of the December 10 rerun election for Rivers-East senatorial district.
Uchendu had approached the tribunal, asking it to declare him winner of the poll, claiming that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to take cognizance of the results of some wards and polling units in the district before declaring Sekibo winner of the polls.
The tribunal directed INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Sekibo and issue a fresh one to Uchendu, ruling that the APC candidate scored the highest number of lawful votes cast during the re-run election.
The tribunal hinged its decision on substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines, ruling that INEC was wrong to have ignored the unit results on form EC8A in Ikwerre and Emuoha local government areas, ward 6 of Okrika LGA and parts of Obio Akpor LGA.
It wondered why the commission failed to collate the results of the areas mentioned above, especially in Ikwerre and Emuoha LGAs, when it (INEC) had accepted and collated the results of the House of Representatives election conducted on the same date and time by the same INEC officials in the area.
The tribunal further accepted the responsibility of collating the results of the areas so ignored by INEC and arrived at the total score of 126,160 for Uchendu and APC and 84,000 for Sekibo and PDP.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had in December declared Sekibo winner of the Rivers East senatorial district election, with 93,098 votes, as against Uchendu’s 34,193 votes.
Meanwhile, Sekibo has said he will appeal the ruling, even though he respects the verdict of the panel.
He urged his supporters to remain calm, adding that he believes “the Appeal Court will see the truth better and vindicate us.”
Sekibo had served two terms in the Senate. He was first elected in 2007 after serving a term (2003 to 2007) in the House of Representatives.
