The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the House of Representatives for the Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency, Prof ACB Agbazuere, has said he was robbed of victory in the February 25, 2023 elections and denied justice at the election petition tribunal and the court.
Prof Agbazuere, in a press statement, dated November 24, 2023, noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had completely assured Nigerians that the BVAS machines would eliminate rigging and manipulations, and so, he voted and went to home, not knowing that INEC, through her ad hoc staff, allegedly aided his opponents to write several polling units results with fake result sheets to rig the elections and overturn his lead and victory.
According to him, polling units result sheets were customised to the effect that each polling unit had its own result sheets only meant for that polling unit, yet the tribunal which was supposed to dispose justice could not also cancel those fake results on the fake results sheets.
“My case from day one and at the Tribunal was that Labour Party and its candidate breached Sections 77 (2) & (3) and 84(13) of the Electoral Act, 2022 and as such its candidate was ineligible to have been on the ballot. This was my issue one at the Tribunal. The Tribunal refused to consider this issue one in its judgement.
“An Appeal is a continuation of the case from the Trial Court/Tribunal. In my appeal, Ground 7 and 10 and their particulars were completely on Sections 77 (2) & (3), 82 (1), 82(5) and 84(13) of the Electoral Act, bordering on non-compliance. The said issue one reads: ‘Whether taking into consideration the provisions of Section 77 (2) & (3) And 84(13) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the 1st and 2nd Respondents ought to be on the ballot for the questioned election, their having not complied with the mandatory provisions of the said Section 77(2) & (3) of the Electoral Act, 2022’.
“Ground 10 of our appeal and its particulars were also hinged on sections 77 (2) & (3), 82 (1), 82 (5) and 84(13) of the Electoral Act, which is on Labour Party not giving the mandatory 21 days notice to INEC before its congresses (82(1) and the consequence being the invalidity of such processes/congresses as provided in Section 82(5) of the Electoral Act.
“In case, it was a slip, I quickly filed a process under the slip rules for the Court to correct its mistake. Furthermore, if the Court is going to reverse/correct a certified true copy of its judgment in the Kano governor’s case citing clerical errors, the Court should also correct its mistake in my case, grant me justice and declare me winner of the February 25, 2023 House of Representatives election for Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency,” the statement emphasised.