Rivers State Elections Petition Tribunal has sacked Senator George Sekibo, representing Rivers East in the Eighth Senate.
The three-man panel, which sat at Apo Quarters in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, affirmed the petition of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Andrew Uchendu and declared him winner of the March 28, 2015 election.
The tribunal also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Sekibo and issue a fresh certificate to Uchendu.
The tribunal’s decision was hinged on the fact that Uchendu won the lawful majority votes cast during the Rivers re-run legislative election.
Uchendu had approached the tribunal with a petition, asking the court to declare him the winner of the poll, and alleged that INEC failed to take into cognisance, results of some wards and polling units before declaring Sekibo winner of the polls.
The tribunal specifically hinged its decision on “substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.”
Sekibo is a three-term senator.