The Election Petition Tribunal panel 1, sitting in Asaba, has declared Hon. John Halims Agoda of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 2019 National Assembly Election for the Ethiope Federal Constituency seat.
Daily Trust reported that, Agoda of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had approached the Tribunal, complaining of gross irregularities and rigging by Hon. Benson Rolands Igbakpa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his party, the PDP, in connivance with the umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In addition he prayed that the Tribunal cancels the election or declare him the winner of the election having scored the highest number of valid votes cast.
In response to the petition Hon. Igbakpa, the PDP and INEC denied allegations of irregularities but the Tribunal, presided over by justice A.M. Abubakar, agreed with the issues raised by Hon. Agoda consequently nullified the election of Igbakpa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and declared the petitioner the winner of the election.
