By Charles Igbo
Labour Party, LP, has been dealt a fatal blow in Delta State. Its House of Representatives Member, Mr Ngozi Okoli, the representative of Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Delta North, has been sacked by the National Assembly Election Tribunal sitting in Asaba Delta State. In his place, the Election Tribunal asked Ndudi Elumelu to step in.
Okolie’s misfortune was not that he lost at the polls. He won comfortably, and was so declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the winner.
Trouble started for him, however, when Elumelu, who was the incumbent before his loss at the polls, petitioned the Election Tribunal to the effect that at the time Okolie contested for the House of Representatives seat, he was not a member of the Labour Party.
In the petition which nailed Okolie, Elumelu had said that as at May 28, 2022, the day the LP held its National Assembly Primary, Okolie was not a member of the Party, and so, was not legally nominated as its Candidate.
On Monday, July 24, 2023, the Election Tribunal agreed with Elumelu that Okolie was not properly sponsored by the LP as its Candidate. It, therefore, declared Elumelu who came second at the polls the winner.
Elumelu is the immediate past Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
Elumelu, 58, younger brother to corporate mogul, Tony Elumelu, has been a Member of tye House of Representatives since 2015.
It is not known yet if Okolie would appeal his sack, and om which grounds.
