The Election Petition Tribunal in Cross River State has sacked the House of Representatives member for Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency, who emerged winner in the last general election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Alex Egbona.
The judgment, which was one of 10 delivered by a three-man panel of the tribunal led by Justice Vincent Agbata in a petition instituted by the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. John Gaul Lebo, was delivered late yesterday evening
The tribunal went ahead to declare Lebo, who came second in the polls, as the candidate in the polls with the highest valid votes having considered the APC candidate, “not a lawful candidate in the eyes of the law as on the date of the election”.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was subsequently directed by the tribunal to withdraw the certificate of return from Egbonna and issue it to Lebo.
The petition with suit number EPT/CAL/HR/11/2019 was filed by Lebo to challenge the declaration of Egbona as winner of the election.
Among other grounds, the petitioner argued that the APC candidate was excluded from participating in the election by INEC on the strength of a Federal High Court order.
There other nine judgments all went in favour of the candidates of the PDP who were elected into the National Assembly and the State House of Assembly.
