Court Of Appeal Affirms Orji Kalu Winner Of Abia North

THE Court of Appeal delivered a judgement on Monday in favour of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as the winner of Abia North Senatorial District in the February 25 poll.

The court, presided over by Justice Abiri, upheld the earlier judgement by the Abia State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.

The candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Nnamdi Iro Orji, and his counterpart from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Mao Ohabunwa, expressed discontent over the tribunal judgement.

But in a unanimous ruling, the panel of justices described the appeal as lacking in merit.

They maintained that Senator Kalu complied with the provisions of the Electoral Act. The appeal court judges also faulted the arguments of both petitioners that the election was not held in over 120 polling units, mainly in Ohafia and Arochukwu local government areas of the zone.

Kalu, a two-time lawmaker who currently presides as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation was declared the winner of the keenly contested February 25 senatorial polls, having scored 30,805 votes to defeat Nnamdi, who got 27,540 votes.

Mao Ohuabunwa of PDP scored 15,175 votes to place third.