The court of appeal sitting in Lagos on Friday upheld the electoral victory of the member representing Enugu East/Isiuzo federal constituency in the house of representatives, Prof. Paul Nnamchi.
The three man honourable justices in a unanimous judgment, set aside the judgment of the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Enugu headed by Justice A.M Abubakar which earlier nullified Prof. Nnamchi’s election and declare Mr. Cornelius Nnaji of the Peoples Democratic party, PDP as the winner of the February 25 election.
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Daily Gazette recall that Prof. Paul Nnamchi of the Labour Party secured 23,607 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr. Cornelius Nnaji of the PDP who got 7,542 votes.
Delivering her judgment, the judges ruled that the trial tribunal erred in law when it nullified the election on ground that Prof. Nnamchi failed to resign as a staff of the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka, six months before the election.
The court said, based on the evidences before her, the appellant resigned his membership of staff of UNN three months before his election as required by law. It is therefore preposterous how the trial tribunal nullified his victory using the 1976 bylaws of the University insisting that no other bylaw supersede the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Speaking with Daily Gazette shortly after the judgment, Prof. Paul Nnamchi who could not hide his joy over the victory, thanked the judges for upholding the mandate freely given to him by the people of Enugu East
/Isiuzo federal constituency.
Nnamchi assured of his determination to deliver on his campaign promises.
