It is no longer news that the aftermath of any election would either result in moments of joy or moments of sorrow among candidates from all political parties.
This move provides candidates who feel wronged the opportunity to petition an appeals court to contest their candidates’ victory.
However, Nigeria’s political scene experienced a tsunami of drama, with the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal nullifying the elections of at least 26 members of the House of Representatives and 5 Senators across the country.
While the All Progressives Congress (APC) has benefited the most from the judgment in terms of House of Representatives seats, the party has lost the most senatorial seats so far.
However, all of those who lost their seats have indicated that they will appeal the decision to remove them from the National Assembly.
The party’s victories in Kogi East and Kogi Central Senatorial Districts, as well as Delta Central and Delta South Senatorial Districts, have been overturned by the tribunal, while the PDP’s election triumph in Plateau South has been declared null and void.
The panel also ordered supplementary elections in Kogi East, Delta South, and Delta Central polling units.
At the time of writing, 26 members of the House of Representatives had their elections overturned by tribunals, however one of these had been overturned by the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has lost the most members in the House, with at least 12 sacked, followed by the Labour Party with 10, and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) with three and one member, respectively.
Umar Yusuf Datti (NNPP, Kano), Amobi Ogah (LP, Abia), Fred Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa), Ngozi Okolie (LP, Delta- the verdict has been overturned by the Appeal Court), Umar Yerima (NNPP, Kano), and Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) are among those who have been fired thus far.
Chijoke Okereke (LP, Enugu), Paul Nnamchi (LP, Enugu), Seyi Sowunmi (LP, Lagos), Aminu Chindo (PDP, Katsina), Ismail Dalha (PDP, Katsina), Peter Gyendeng (PDP, Plateau), Munachim Alozie (LP, Abia), and Ibe Osunwa (LP, Abia) are among those who have joined.
The rest are Francis Waive (APC, Delta), Joshua Gana (PDP, Niger), Emeka Nnamani (LP, Abia), Jonathan Ukodhiko (PDP, Delta), Idris Dankawa (NNPP, Kano), Adamu Yakubu (PDP, Jigawa), Thaddeus Atta (LP, Lagos), Dachung Musa Bagos (PDP, Plateau), Beni Lar (PDP, Plateau), Sunday Umeha (LP, Enugu), Mohammed Jamilu (PDP, Katsina) and Iliyasu Abubakar (PDP, Katsina).
The tribunal ordered rerun/supplementary elections in 9 federal constituencies after nullifying the results, with the APC emerging as the greatest winners, with 9 federal constituencies belonging to them.
When the Appeal Court overturned the nullification of the Labour Party Candidate for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, the PDP lost one of its five seats, while the Labour Party and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) gained two and one seat, respectively.
According to the findings of the Nation, at least 16 of the members dismissed by the Tribunal are either Chairmen or Vice Chairmen of House standing committees formed by the Speaker before the House went on recess.
The Tribunal fired both the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of two of the Committees (Science Research Institutions and Science and Technology).
For Science Research Institutions, they are Hon. Beni Lar (PDP, Plateau) and Hon. Chijoke Okereke (LP, Enugu), while for Science and Technology, they are Dachung Musa Bagos (PDP, Plateau) and Jonathan Ukhodiko (PDP, Delta).
Hon. Amobi Ogah (LP, Abia) for HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; Fred Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa) for FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters; Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) for Petroleum Downstream; Aminu Chindo (PDP, Katsina) for Interior; and Francis Waive (APC, Delta).
The Vice chairmen affected are Sunday Umeha (LP, Enugu) for Justice; Idris Dankawu (NNPP, Kano) for Drugs and Narcotics; Ibe Osunwa (LP, Abia) for FCT Judiciary; Seyi Sowunmi (LP Lagos) for Local Content; Joshua Gana (PDP, Niger) for Power; Adamu Yakubu (PDP, Jigawa) and Mohammed Jamilu (PDP, Katsina).
Meanwhile, in a pre-election case, the Supreme Court annulled the election of Nazifi Bello Yusuf (PDP, Katsina), reinstating Salisu Yusuf Majigiri as the validly elected candidate of the PDP from Katsina state’s Mashi/Dutsi federal constituency.
The Supreme Court found that Yusuf’s petition challenging Majigiri’s selection as PDP candidate was filed too late.
Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker, named Nazifi Bello Yusuf as the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics, and Values.