A House of Representatives, Mr. Francis Waive, member representing Ughelli North, Ughelli South, and Udu Federal Constituency of Delta State, has said that the grounds for the nullification of his election by the election tribunal were not known to Nigeria law.
The lawmaker in a statement said that the non-publication of his academic qualification, which he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on its portal was not a ground for disqualification of a candidate, and as such, it’s alien to Nigerian law.
Waive of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was declared winner of the February 25, election having scored the highest number of valid votes cast by INEC.
However, the Delta State and National Assembly Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba on Monday declared Solomon Ahwinahwi of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the winner of the election.
Reacting to the tribunal judgment, Waive disclosed that he fulfilled all the requirements of INEC and the law as expected of him and provided documented evidence to the tribunal.
He added that INEC’s act of omission which he wrote to them should not be a ground for his disqualification.
The lawmaker, who rejected the tribunal’s judgment added that he has instructed his legal team to study the judgment and immediately appeal it.
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He also called his supporters and party faithful to remain calm and law-abiding as he goes on appeal to test the judgment.
He said in the statement, “The tribunal judgment, September 11, 2023, the National Assembly Elections Tribunal, Asaba, ruled in layman’s language that the nonpublication of my educational qualifications in the INEC portal is grounds to disqualify me and declare the loser of the election the winner.
“Let me state clearly as I did before the tribunal with documented evidence that I did submit all required documents including my qualifications as required by INEC.
“The non-publication of the same on the INEC portal is definitely not my making or within my power to effect. And I did write INEC on this.
“Very importantly, however, the non-publication by INEC is not known to our laws as a ground for disqualification of a candidate.
“Consequently, I have instructed my lawyers to appeal the judgment.
“I call on our people to remain calm and law-abiding as we continue in the struggle to make our country a better place to live in,” he added.
