“Court of Appeal Upholds PDP Lawmaker’s Victory in Bayelsa Federal Constituency”
The Court of Appeal in Abuja delivered a significant decision on Saturday, confirming the victory of Fred Agbedi, the member of the House of Representatives representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in Bayelsa State.
This ruling comes after the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal in Bayelsa State had nullified Agbedi’s win in the February 25 election, following a petition filed by his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, Michael Olomu. The tribunal had also directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize supplementary elections within 90 days in various polling units in the Sagbama local government area.
Dissatisfied with this decision, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Fred Agbedi, took the matter to the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the tribunal’s ruling.
During the proceedings on Saturday, a three-member panel at the appellate court, led by Justice Muhammed Shuaibu, considered the cross-appeals submitted by both Agbedi and Olomu.
Other panel members included Justice Habeeb Abiru and Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri. Justice Abiru, who delivered the judgment, dismissed the appeal brought forward by the APC candidate, citing a lack of merit. Consequently, he affirmed Fred Agbedi as the duly elected representative for the Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency.
In summary, the Court of Appeal’s decision has upheld the victory of Fred Agbedi, a member of the House of Representatives, as the elected representative for Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in Bayelsa State. This outcome follows the nullification of Agbedi’s initial win by the election petitions tribunal, which has now been overturned by the appellate court, marking a significant development in this electoral dispute.