Appeal Court sustains Rep. Esin’s victory, fines APC candidate N500,000.

Martins Esin was elected to the House of Representatives for the Oron/Mbo/Okobo/Udung Uko/Urueoffong Oruko Federal Constituency in February 2023. This decision was upheld by the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Akwa Ibom state on Thursday. The Court of Appeal is located at the National Industrial Court Complex in Lagos State.

A cost of five hundred thousand naira was also granted by the three-member panel of justice in favor of each respondent, Esin, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), against the appellant.

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Remember how the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) Robinson Edumoh, who lost the February elections, led the petitioners to the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal to contest the poll’s results?

On September 1, 2023, the panel presided over by Justice Kudirat Jose dismissed Edumoh’s petition, finding that the petitioner was unable to substantiate any of his claims regarding excessive voting, failure to transmit results electronically, pervasive irregularities, and failure to comply with Electoral Act legislation.

Feeling let down by the decision, the APC candidate went to the higher court, requesting that the tribunal’s decision be overturned.

The PDP candidate, Esin, was declared the legitimate victor of the election by the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, and the Court of Appeal maintained this decision, ruling that there was no basis to reverse the lower court’s decision.

“Here, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Hon. Martins Esin are the respondents, and they are all given a cost of five hundred thousand naira against the appellant.”