A Federal High Court in Abuja has sacked the lawmaker representing Ibaji constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly, Atule Egbunu.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, on Friday, ordered the inauguration of Daniel Enefola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the lawmaker for Ibaji constituency, having come second with 4, 564 votes in the December 5, 2020 state election.
The judgement was in a suit instituted by an APC chieftain, Joseph Enemona, against APC and four others challenging September 3, 2020 primary for the nomination of the party candidate, Egbunu.
Egbunu, who was declared the winner of the bye-election on account of his 8, 515 votes, was removed as a lawmaker on the grounds that he was unlawfully nominated by the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Enemona’s grouse, among others, was that the party unlawfully excluded six other aspirants from the primary election and also did not allow delegates to vote at the poll.
Enemona further asserted that while the law stipulated that the primary election be conducted at the party secretariat in Onyedega, the APC officials allegedly conducted a purported primary election in a mall.
He further contended that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was not given 21 days notice before the purported primary election as mandatorily required by Section 85 of Electoral Act, 2010.
