REPORTS - Tribunal sacks House of Reps member, Alex Egbona

A member of the House of Representatives representing Abi /Yakurr Federal Constituency, Hon . Alex Egbona of the All Progressives Congress , was on Wednesday sacked by the Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Calabar .

Punchng

Former Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly , Hon . John Gaul- Lebo of the Peoples Democratic Party , had filed a suit challenging Egbona ’ s victory in the February 23, 2019 House of Representatives election and had asked the court to nullify it on the ground of “ massive irregularities . ”

he also contended that Egbona was not the lawful candidate of APC .

Delivering judgment in the petition with number EPT/CAL /HR / 11/2019 on Wednesday , chairman of the three -man tribunal, Justice Vincent Agabata, declared thatc as of February 23 , 2019 , Egbona was not qualified to contest the election .

He ruled that the votes scored in the election by Egbona were “ defiant votes and therefore invalid and unlawful . ”

Justice Agbata also ruled that the candidate of the PDP , John Gaul- Lebo , “ scored the highest number of valid votes in the election and so , the certificate of return erroneously issued to Egbona should be withdrawn forthwith and issued to John Gaul -Lebo . ”

SOURCE - PUNCHNG