Tribunal upholds the election of LP lawmaker in Anambra

Afam Ogene, the representative for the Ogbaru Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, was declared the winner by the election petitions tribunal, which met on Friday in the capital city of Anambra State, Awka.

Chukwuka Onyema, the candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party who lost in the polls, filed a plea to have his victory affirmed.

A “true validation of the will of the people and the grace of God,” Ogene referred to the ruling of the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, which recognized him as the legitimate victor of the House of Representatives election in Ogbaru in February.

After a supplementary election in the constituency on April 15, Ogene, who ran under the banner of the Labour Party in the Ogbaru Federal Constituency election in Anambra State, was proclaimed the victor by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Having served three terms in government, Onyema had gone to the tribunal to contest Ogene’s win.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance’s Arinze Awogu came in third place with 10,155 votes, while the PDP’s candidate received 10,619 votes. The LP candidate received 10,851 votes out of the total votes cast, according to INEC statistics.

Following the presidential and national assembly elections on February 25, the INEC pronounced the election in the Ogbaru Federal Constituency to be inconclusive.

Following the ruling, Ogene gave a speech in which he thanked God for the victory and the opportunity to serve as his constituent’s representative in the House of Representatives.

In addition, he expressed gratitude to the Ogbaru people for their unselfish prayers, support, and encouragement. He also said that the victory would give him even more energy to keep giving the people excellent representation.

He encouraged the PDP candidate to resist the inclination to take further legal jabs while offering him a hand of friendship.

 “I want to specially appreciate God for His faithfulness in always ensuring that the light which He lit for the people would never be extinguished by the shenanigans of those who seek to exalt themselves against His will and His divine agenda for ndi Ogbaru.

“I also want to sincerely appreciate the entire Ogbaru people, irrespective of political or social divides, for their steadfastness in working and praying for the good of Ogbaru.

“We are remarkably a peaceful people, and should not allow politics or personal interest of the political class or politically exposed people to divide or destroy us.

“The Ogbaru Federal Constituency is not a private estate of anyone or group of individuals. Leadership positions are entrusted to individuals at a time, to work for, and protect the interest of the people. It should never be a do or die affair, because it is only God that determines who should lead the people at any given time

“I have won election in the past. And I had also lost election in 2015 as an incumbent representative. But I just moved on and waited for God’s own time. I didn’t take my opponent to the court, because I considered that doing so would hurt the interest of Ogbaru as tribunal distractions would impact adversely on the quality of representation that the people deserve.

“It is in this light that I pay glowing tribute to my brother and APGA candidate in the election, Arinze Awogu, for electing to align with the people’s will, by refusing to go to the Tribunal.

“Ogbaru deserves the best and should demand for the best, but such legitimate aspiration would be jeopardised, should we continue to allow politics of acrimony to erode our oneness and the political space.

“Once again, I congratulate the good people of Ogbaru, because with this vital victory, we shall now concentrate fully in the service of the people, in the true sense of representative democracy. I also say kudos to the judiciary, whose judgement remarkably aligns with the will of the Ogbaru electorate,” Ogene added.