Election petition: Appeal Court returns Ekwunife, Dozie Nwankwo

From Chuks Moses, Awka
The election of Senator Lilian Uche Ekwunife representing Anambra Central Senatorial district at the National Assembly on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been upheld by the Court of Appeal, Enugu Division.
The appellate court which affirmed the verdict of the National Election Petitions Tribunal which sat in Awka dismissed the petition of the APGA candidate, Senator Victor Umeh, which challenged the election of Senator Ekwunife of the PDP in the February 23, 2019 Anambra Central Senatorial election for lacking in merit.
The court also upturned the declaration of Barrister Valentine Ayika of the PDP for the Njikoka/Anaocha/Dunukofia Federal Constituency and returned Chief Dozie Nwankwo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as the duly elected candidate.
The Court also affirmed the election of the APC candidate for Ezza-South/Ikwo Federal Constituency in the February 23, 2009 general election, Comrade Chinedu Oga.
The petition of the PDP candidate, Mr. Lazarus Ogbe, was dismissed for lacking in merit.
Mr. Ogbe was earlier declared winner of the election by INEC but his victory was upturned by the election petitions tribunal in Abakaliki, after it was challenged by Comrade Chinedu Oga.
Similarly, the Appeal Court also affirmed the election of the PDP candidate for Aniri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency in the February 23, 2009 general election, Chief Tobi Okechukwu.
Chief Okechukwu’s victory was challenged by Chief Vin-Martin Ilo of the APC.
The presiding judge, Justice Veronica  Dongban-Mensen, dismissed the petition of the APC candidate, Chief Vin-Martin Ilo, for lacking in merit.