From Joshua Chibuzo Andrew |Owerri
The Appeal Court sitting in Lagos on Thursday, December 21 sacked the member representing Nkwerre/Isu/Njaba/Nwangele Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Ugonna Ozurigbo.
The court upturned the election of Ozurigbo, who contested the February 25 National Assembly poll on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
The court declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Harrison Nwadike as the winner of the poll.
Recall that the results of the poll was announced 63 days after followiing what the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had claimed were irregularities that occurred during the election.
Ozurigbo, a former Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly served his first term at the House of Representatives on the platform of the APC.
Being of the political camp of Owelle Rochas Okorocha, he like some other members of the camp dumped the APC in the build-up to the last general election to contest on the platforms of other political parties.
For instance, while he pitched tenth with the PDP, Hon. Paschal Obi defected to the Labour Party, LP.
Obi, who represented Ideato Federal Constituency between 2019 and 2023 however lost the February 25 National Assembly poll to Hon. Ugochinyere Imo of the PDP.
Ozurigbo is the second PDP House of Representatives member from Imo State to be ousted by the courts.
The court had similarly sacked Hon Jonas Okeke in November and enthroned Hon Chike John Okafor of the APC.
Okafor is a three-time member representing Ehime Mbano/Ihitte-Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency.
