Tribunal Nullifies Enugu East Senatorial Election

Panel Two of the National and State Assemblies Election Petition
Tribunal sitting in Enugu State on Tuesday, has ordered the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh
election in Enugu East Senatorial District.

The tribunal gave the order after nullifying the April 28 Senatorial
election that ushered in Senator Gilbert Nnaji to represent Enugu East
Senatorial Zone.

The nullification also followed a petition by the candidate of People
for Democratic Change (PDC) and former Governor of Enugu State, Dr.
Chimaroke Nnamani, challenging INEC's declaration of Senator Nnaji as
winner of the senatorial seat.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Matthew Adewara, held that there were
preponderance of evidence especially by the forensic expert brought by
Dr. Nnamani, indicating that there were irregularities and over voting
in favor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and reduction of votes
against PDC among numerous cases of mutilations, cancellations, and
discrepancies in the result sheets.

The tribunal again held that the level of such irregularities and
malpractices were not only gross and fundamental, but substantial
enough to cancel the whole election in Enugu East senatorial zone.

The election was nullified, but no time frame was fixed for INEC to
conduct a fresh election.

However, all the counsels to the petition commended the tribunal for
its industry and painstaking effort in deciding the case in which for
them, justice had been served.

-ChannelsTV