The National and State Election Tribunal sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state has nullified the Sagbama/Ekeremor federal constituency election, resulting in the removal of Fred Agbedi of the People’s Democratic Party.
The tribunal also ordered that the certificate of return issued to Agbedi be immediately withdrawn from him.
Additionally, the tribunal has mandated INEC to organize a fresh election within ninety days for the voters who were disenfranchised from the initial election due to pockets of violence that marred the electoral process in parts of the constituency.
The petitioner, Michael Olomu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the same election initially filed the suit before the Election Tribunal, contending that he should be declared winner of the election.
The Tribunal added that the 9000 vote margin Fred Agbedi of the PDP has against Michael Olomu of the APC in the last House Representative election in the Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency remains valid.
The Election Tribunal therefore directed INEC to conduct a Re-election only in Ward Five and five Units in Ward Eleven in the Sagbama council area and some Units in Ward Eleven and Ward Twelve in Ekeremor LGA amounting to approximately 26,000 total registered voters both in Ekeremor and Sagbama Local Government Areas for both candidates to contest.
Meanwhile, Fred Agbedi says he is ready for the supplementary election and will not contest the decision of the tribunal
(Editor: Oloyede Oworu)
