Thaddeus Atta of the Labour Party was legitimately elected as the representative for the Eti Osa Federal Constituency, but the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal, which is located in Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos State, has declared his election victory illegal.
The judiciary declared the polls to be inconclusive in a late-night ruling on Monday and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to hold a new election within 90 days in every polling location where voting was not possible.
Both Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro, a candidate for the All Progressives Congress, and Bankole Wellington, a popularly known Banky W, a Nigerian singer and actor who was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and was declared the election’s runner-up, had petitions filed challenging the results.
Banky W and Obanikoro received 18,668 and 16,901 votes, respectively, while Atta received 24,075 votes, according to the electoral umpire.
Ibrahim Obanikoro, the APC candidate, responded to this on his official Instagram account (@repibrahimobanikoro) on Tuesday morning. He praised the judges “for this ruling which adheres to the components of the Constitution.”
“When it was established that there would be a supplemental election in numerous voting units under the Eti-Osa Federal constituency where the election did not take place, everyone at the tribunal court was smiling. I am confident that our legal system is headed in the right direction, and I commend the judges for coming at a decision that respects the Constitution’s fundamental principles. Now the work begins.
He posted on his Instagram story, as observed by our correspondent, that the court had just appropriately determined the February 25 election to be inconclusive and ordered additional voting. Elections in the regions where they weren’t held on Election Day must be held, according to an order given to INEC to revoke the return certificate.
On Tuesday morning, Atta of the LP posted on his X account (@_JtAtta) to say that he had not been fired and that there was “No cause for alarm.”
I’m here to make it clear that I was not fired. The 32 polling units where elections were not held have merely been directed by the Tribunal to organise a second election. In support of Eti-osa, we will keep working. I urge my supporters to be cool because we are unfazed. Together, I believe we can overcome this.
Banky W said “It is possible.” in a post on Monday night that was reminiscent of the response following the election. ” on his X-verified handle.
