Tribunal sacks LP lawmaker, declares Elumelu winner

Tamarauemi Ebimini

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Delta State has sacked a member of the House of Representatives, Ngozi Okolie.

The lawmaker, who represents the Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), was sacked on Monday by the panel sitting in Asaba, the state capital.

Mr Okolie created an upset against the former Minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu, during the 25 February National Assembly elections.

He scored 53, 879 votes against 33, 466 secured by Mr Elumelu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, Mr Elumelu, in a petition filed before the panel with case number EPT/DL/HR/06/2023, argued that Mr Okolie’s nomination was not in tune with the relevant laws on the election.

He said the LP did not duly sponsor Mr Okolie because, at the time of the primary election that produced him as the candidate, he (Okolie) was not a member of the party.

The three-member panel, headed by A.Z. Mussa, in its ruling, agreed with Mr Elumelu and disqualified the defendant.

The tribunal also ruled that Mr Elumelu should be returned as the elected representative for the constituency.