Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal (EPT) has dismissed another petition filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against the victory of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the 2019 National Assembly election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the APC’s Hon Israel Sunny-Goli winner of the election for the Nembe/Brass Federal Constituency seat, polling 41,150 votes against his closet rival, the PDP’s Mrs Marie Enenimiete Ebikake, who polled at 19,279.

Ebikake, however, in a petition tagged EPT/BY/REP/13/2019 had prayed the Tribunal to annul the election of Sunny-Goli, citing noncompliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act and violence in seven wards of the constituency.

The Tribunal, led by Justice Lambert Azuama, with Justice Ruqayat Ayoola and Linda Yarosong as members, in its ruling dismissed the petition for lack of documentary evidence and affirmed Sunny-Goli’s victory.

Sunny-Goli in an interview described the judgment of the Tribunal as a victory for democracy and for the people of Nembe/Brass.

The federal lawmaker, who extended a hand of fellowship to Mrs Ebikake, urging her to join hands with him to attract development to the constituency, reiterated his determination to give the people of Nembe/ Brass quality representation.

“Well, the Tribunal again affirmed my victory at the polls. It is a victory for the people of my constituency. I thank God and our leader, the Minister of State for Petroluem, Chief Timipe Sylva, for standing by me. I also commend the people of Nembe/Brass Federal Constituency for their unflinching support throughout the case. Now it is the time to work. There is so much to be done to bring development to our people. We cannot continue to drag ourselves with litigations. It is time to move on. I want to assure my people that I would not disappoint them. I promised them quality representation in the House of Representatives. I also assure them that I would do my best to attract infrastructure development to the constituency. Gone are the days when representatives keep mute. I want to attract developments to my constituency. I would consult them regularly to make inputs so that the development the Federal Government brings is the one they want. My constituents should be rest assured that they would enjoy the dividends of democracy,” the lawmaker remarked.