A member of the House of Representatives representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, of Imo State, Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, has said the validation of his election by the Court of Appeal, in Lagos, is vindication of the just.
Ugochinyere, who is also the chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources ( Downstream), stated this while reacting to the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which overturned the verdict of the Imo State Election Petition Tribunal nullifying his election.
The tribunal had in its judgment voided the lawmaker’s victory in the February 25 National Assembly election and ordered a rerun. However, the appealate Court, in its the judgment, reversed the tribunal verdict and upheld Ugochinyere’s election as a member of the National Assembly.
The Appeal Court judgment brings to an end the long-drawn battle between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the Ideato North/ Ideato South Federal Constituency seat.
Nevertheless, the lawmaker, who thanked his supporters for their steadfastness, “said God always vindicates the innocent.” He added “this is not the opportunity cost for those that were killed but it will at least show they did not die in vain.”
According to him, the APC candidate in the February 25 National Assembly poll in Ideato Federal Constituency “won only one polling unit out of 346 Polling units; finished a distant third in the election yet went to the Tribunal to ask that he be declared the winner of the election.”