Nigeria’s National Election Tribunal, convened in Enugu, has dismissed the petition filed by former Enugu State Governor and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani. Nnamani’s petition contested the election results, which declared Senator Kelvin Chukwu of the Labour Party (LP) as the victor.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially declared Kelvin Chukwu as the winner of the Enugu East Senatorial district election. Chukwu, who stepped in to contest the election following the tragic murder of his brother during the campaign leading up to February 25, 2023, secured over 69,000 votes, triumphing over Chimaroke Nnamani, who garnered approximately 49,000 votes.
However, Nnamani, dissatisfied with the outcome, alleged various electoral irregularities, including over-voting, malpractices, and non-compliance with electoral guidelines. He subsequently petitioned the tribunal, urging them to either declare him the rightful winner or invalidate the election.
The tribunal on Wednesday presided over by a three-member panel led by Justice Nusirat I. Umar, delivered its verdict, unanimously upholding Kelvin Chukwu’s victory. Furthermore, the tribunal imposed a fine of N500,000 against the petitioners in favour of the three respondents: Kelvin Chukwu, the Labour Party, and INEC.
The honourable three-member panel found Nnamani’s petition to be lacking in merit, characterised by vagueness, incompetence, generality, and an academic exercise. Consequently, the election results stand, cementing Senator Kelvin Chukwu’s position as the elected representative of the Enugu East Senatorial District.
