Chief Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso, representing Orlu/Orsu and Oru East Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives Abuja, has become the first casualty and victim of the Elections Petitions Tribunal in Imo State, despite victory at the polls and tribunal.
The Appeal Tribunal sitting in Owerri the Imo State capital last weekend nullified his victory and ordered the “Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)”, in the state to conduct a re-run in what appears to be the catchment areas of his opponent of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Eddy Iheanacho, that were in dispute.
Alagbaoso’s removal is fast on the heels of a similar ruling by the Appeal Tribunal nullifying the double nominations secured by Uche Nwosu as governorship candidate of both the APC and Action Alliance (AA).
By the ruling of the Appeal Tribunal, Uche Nwosu, was abinitio never a candidate in the March 23, 2019, governorship election by virtue of his securing a nomination from the Daniel Nwafor’s faction of APC, which is still in court, contesting the dissolution of its discredited executive committee and that of the Action Alliance (AA), while the case instituted by Daniel Nwafor and his cohorts subsists.
INEC had in one occasion after declaring the Orlu federal constituency election inconclusive, invited the contestants including Alagbaoso, Eddy Iheanacho and the APGA candidate to their Owerri office to deliberate on possible re-run in the disputed areas.
On arriving the INEC office in Owerri, it turned out to be a drama with Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso, to the shock of his fellow contestants declared winner.
That triggered a chain of disenchantment, protests and reactions that culminated in the resort to the election petitions tribunal, which defiantly upheld INEC’s declaration and certificate or return to Alagbaoso.
