A Lagos State election tribunal has ordered a supplementary election in the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency, following the invalidation of the victory of the Labour Party candidate, Thaddeus Atta.
The tribunal’s lead judgement, delivered on Monday night, found that the elections were inconclusive because voting did not take place in 33 polling units.
The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to organize a supplementary election in these polling units within 90 days.
The tribunal’s ruling was a victory for the All Progressives Congress candidate, Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro, and the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Bankole Wellington, who had both filed petitions challenging Atta’s victory.
Atta, who received 24,075 votes, was declared the winner of the February 25 elections by INEC. Obanikoro came in second with 18,668 votes, while Wellington received 16,901 votes.
In his reaction to the tribunal’s ruling, Atta said he was not “sacked” by the court and that he would continue to work for the people of Eti-Osa. He urged his supporters to remain calm and to vote in the supplementary election.
The supplementary election is expected to take place in the coming weeks. The winner of the election will be the legitimate representative of the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
