Tribunal sacks Edo APC lawmaker

The Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal has upturned the election of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yakubu Gowon, as the lawmaker representing Etsako West II Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly.

The tribunal in its ruling on Friday declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gallant Sylvanus as the winner of the April 11 election.

Chairman of the tribunal, Justice E. Abuua in the judgement said APC candidate was not duly nominated by his party.

He noted that the APC’s notice of intention to hold party primaries, which he sent to  the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was less than the mandatory 21 days.

He said the notice was given on November 13, 2014, while the primaries was conducted  on December 1, 2014.

He, therefore, declared that  all the votes cast for the APC candidate was wasted as a result of which the first runner up who had 4001 votes was the rightful person to be declared winner of the election.