By CHARLES IWUOHA

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in the March 18 election, Prof Benard Odoh has asked the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state to nullify the 2023 Governorship Election in the state.

Odoh, added that the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, is still a member of the Peoples Democratic Party )PDP) as at the time the election was conducted in Ebonyi State.

In the 37-page election petition submitted before the court, sighted by News Express, Odoh further said that for a person to qualify to contest election for the office of the Governor that he or she must be a member of a political party and be sponsored by that political party.

He said the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, do not permit any person who wishes or desires to contest election to the office of Governor of the State in Nigeria, including Ebonyi State, to belong to two political parties.

The APGA governorship candidate, alleged that Nwifuru swore an oath when he was sacked as the Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly that he is still a member of PDP and as such cannot be sponsored by the APC to contest for the office of the Governor in the state.

Odoh, therefore prayed to court to grant him the following requests: “That it may be determined and be declared that at all material time that the 3^rdRespondent sponsored the 2^ndRespondent as its Candidate and standard bearer in the Ebonyi State Governorship election which held on the 18^thday of March 2023, the 2^ndRespondent was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a political party distinct and different from the 3^rdRespondent, and was not qualified to be sponsored as the candidate of the 3^rdRespondent In the said Election.

“That it may be determined and declared that the 2^ndRespondent was at the time of the election not qualified to contest the said election to the office of the Governor of Ebonyi State in the governorship election which held on the 18^thday of March 2023 in that the 2^ndRespondent presented to the 1^stRespondent forged certificate.

“An Order of this Hon. Tribunal nullifying the election to the office of the Governor of Ebonyi State held on the 18^thMarch 2023.

“An order for a second election pursuant to section 179(3) and (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended into the office of the Governor of Ebonyi State to be held between the Petitioner Shere in and the candidate who’s cored the highest number Of votes at the election held on the 18^thof March 2023.

“An Order of this Hon. Tribunal nullifying and or setting aside the Certificate of Return issued by the 1^stRespondent to the 2^ndRespondent. Dated this 5^thday of April 2023.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared APC candidate, Nwifuru, as the winner of 2023 Ebonyi State Governorship Election.

The Returning Officer for the election, Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Professor Charles Igwe, announced the results.

Prof. Igwe said Nwifuru, polled a total of (199,131) votes to defeat his two closest rivals, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii of PDP, who got 80,186 while Prof. Benard Odoh of APGA, 52,189 votes.