The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal, located at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos, has declared the return of Mr. Thaddeus Atta of the Labour Party as the duly elected representative for Eti Osa Federal Constituency null and void.
In a late-night lead judgment on Monday, the tribunal ruled that the elections in question were inconclusive.
It subsequently directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a supplementary election within 90 days in 33 polling units where voting did not take place.
Mr. Thaddeus Atta, in response to the tribunal’s decision, reassured his constituents through a statement posted on social media, clarifying that he was not “sacked” by the court.
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“He explained, “The Tribunal has simply ordered a re-run (supplementary election) in the 32 polling units where elections did not hold. “We will continue working for Etiosa. I urge constituents to keep calm as we are unshaken. We will get through this together.”
In the initial election held on February 25, 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Thaddeus Atta as the winner with 24,075 votes.
Bankole Wellington (Banky W) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 18,668 votes, and Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro (IBO) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 16,901 votes had both contested the election results and filed petitions challenging the outcome.
