The Labour Party candidate for Egor, Edo State Constituency in the March 18 and April 15, 2023 House of Assembly elections, Mr Derick Uhumwagho has filed a petition before the National and State House of Assembly Election Tribunal challenging the declaration of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Osawaru Natasha Irobosa as the winner of the poll.
In the petition marked EPT/ED/SHA/17/2023, with the heading "in the matter of the Egor State Constituency Election that held on 18th March, 2023 and the supplementary Election that held on April 15,2023," the Petitioner prayed the tribunal to declare him as the rightful winner ‘having scored the majority of lawful votes cast during the election’.
Uhumwagho and his party, Labour Party filed the petition through their Counsel Etigwe Uwa (SAN) as the first and second petitioners while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Peoples Democratic Party and Osawaru Natasha Irobosa are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents respectively.
The Petitioners avowed in their petition that the election was successfully conducted in all the wards and units on March 18, 2023, and that at the end of the election, he won convincingly. They said they were shocked when the 1st Respondent (INEC) declared the result of the election inconclusive because according to the electoral commission, the election was not validly and successfully conducted in Ward 4.
The Petitioners maintained that despite INEC’s claim that the election was not conducted in Ward 4 in Egor Constituency of Edo State on March 18, the Commission still duly certified units’ results of Ward 4 upon their application for the CTC.
The Petitioners, however, prayed jointly and severally against the Respondents as follows:
"That it be determined that the 3rd Respondent was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election of 18 March 2023 and 15 April 2023 on the grounds that:
"The election conducted on the 18th March 2023 produced a clear winner with a majority of votes in the person of the 1st petitioner
"The supplementary election conducted on 15th April 2023 is a nullity not having been predicted on compliance with the electoral Act, as well as the guideline, and therefore the declaration and return of the 3rd Respondent by the 1st Respondent as member of Edo State House of Assembly, EGOR Constituency is illegal, unlawful, void and of no effect whatsoever.
"That in the Alternative the 3rd Respondent was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the supplementary election held on 15 April 2023 on the grounds that (i) the process by which the election was conducted was not in accordance with the law (ii) the votes credited to the 2 responded were corrupted bogus and excessively inflated.
"That it be determined that the 1st Petitioner was duly, validly and lawfully elected and ought to be returned as member of Edo State House of Assembly, EGOR Constituency, having polled the highest number of lawful votes cast at the election of 18th March 2023 and 15 April, 2023 respectively to the office of the member of Edo State House of Assembly, EGOR Constituency."
The Petitioners also sought a court order “setting aside the certificate of return issued by the 1st Respondent to the 3rd Respondent” and an “order directing the 1st Respondent to issue certificate of return to the 1st Petitioner as the duly elected member of Edo State House of Assembly, EGOR Constituency."