The election of Senator Okorie Ani in Ebonyi South has been upheld by the tribunal, confirming his victory and legitimacy.
Professor Anthony Okorie Ani’s victory as Senator representing Ebonyi South Senatorial District in the Upper Chamber has been affirmed by the Election Petition Tribunal situated in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State.
On Thursday, the tribunal panel passed judgement that rejected the petitions submitted by Hon. Linus Abaa Okorie of The Labour Party (LP) and Barrister Silas Onu of The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The tribunal ruled unanimously that the petitioners were unable to prove their accusations of malpractice and irregularities against the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate. Consequently, they dismissed the petitions for being without merit.
Roy Nweze Umahi, SAN – counsel to Senator Ani – acknowledged the correspondence between the court’s judgment and legal regulations during an interview with journalists. He expressed appreciation for the tribunal’s just handling of affairs regarding this case.
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Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, the Chairman of APC in Ebonyi State, declared that the outcome was a triumph for his party. He confidently affirmed that PDP and LP nominees did not receive votes from residents of Ebonyi South zone during the election.
Furthermore, he boasted about APC’s permanence in their state and urged opponents to embrace success by joining forces with them rather than wasting resources on opposition parties if they intend to win future elections.
Hon. Chidiebere Uzor, the Chairman of Onicha Local Government Area, stated that the verdict accurately represents Ebonyi South Senatorial District’s desires.
He led other prominent members to attend tribunal proceedings and expressed confusion as to why LP and PDP candidates contested election results when only Professor Ani received votes from people in Ebonyi South zone.
Moreover, Chief Sunday Oyibe, who previously served as the Commissioner for Education in that state lauded the ruling and believed it would enable Senator Ani to focus on providing exemplary representation to his constituents.
He also expressed gratitude towards Governor Francis Nwifuru, Minister of Works Senator David Umahi, Chairman of Ebonyi State’s APC – Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha alongside other party leaders and stakeholders for their support during Professor Ani’s campaign.
After receiving 46,270 votes in the by-election held on February 3, 2024, Ani emerged victorious as the representative for Ebonyi South zone.
His closest rival was Chief Ifeanyi Eleje of APGA who scored only 3,513 votes. The by-election took place due to Senator David Umahi’s resignation from his role as a senator representing the area so that he could assume position as Minister of Works.
