The National and State House of Assembly election Petition Tribunal sitting in Makurdi, Benue State, on Friday, upheld the election of Mr Sesoo Ikpagher, representing Vandeikya/Konshisha and that of Sekav Iortom for Buruku Federal Constituencies.
This followed the dismissal of the petition filed by the candidate of Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr Imborvungu Tsar, challenging the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which retained Ikpagher as the winner of the election held earlier this year.
In the petition, the first petitioner alleged that he was excluded by INEC in the election, stating that the election of Ikpagher should be voided by the tribunal.
However, the tribunal held that the exclusion of a candidate in an election is a pre-election matter and not post-election issue and as such, the case was dismissed for lacking in merit.
Reacting to the ruling, Lead Counsel to the defendant, Barr. Iortyom Wombu, explained that the petitioner’s party (ADC) had wrongly submitted his name in Buruku Federal Constituency rather than Vandeikya/Konshisha and efforts made by his Counsel to change it before the election proved abortive.
“The petitioner approached the Federal High Court to effect the change by order of Court but before the order, he withdrew the case it before the post election tribunal which is abuse of procedure”, Wombu said.
In a similar vain, the tribunal has affirmed the election of Mr Sekav Iortom of APC for Buruku Federal Constituency when it dismissed two petitions challenging his declaration as the member of House of Representatives for Buruku Federal Constituency.
In the peition, Ngunan Addingi of Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Jimin Kpam Sokpo of the Labour Party (LP), all urged the tribunal to nullify Iortyom’s election on ground that he was not qualify to contest among others.
Having considered all arguments, the Justice Ory Zik-Ikeoeha-led tribunal dismissed their Petitions as lacking in merit.
Meanwhile, one petition challenging Iortyom’s election filed by the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), is pending at the tribunal to be decided at a later date.
Reacting to the judgement, Mr Iortyom attributed it to an act of God and the people of Buruku and called on his co-candidates who lost both at the polls and tribunal to join hands with him to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of the Constituency.
