By ABEL JOHNGOLD ORHERUATA
The National Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba on Tuesday 12, September, 2023, upheld the election of Rt. Hon. Benedict Etanabene of the Labour Party (LP) as Member Representing Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency.
Former Commissioner For Water Resources, Hon. Evelyn Oboro had filed a petition against the declaration of Etanabene as winner of the February 25 Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency.
The petitioner, Evelyn Oboro of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), had approached the court to challenge Rt. Hon. Benedict Etanabene’s victory.
The former lawmaker and one time Uvwie Council Chairman had alleged that Benedict Etanabene did not duly resigned his teaching position from the Petroleum Training Institution (PTI), Effurun, and so therefore not qualified to contest in the election.
Delivering judgement on the matter as read by the Chairman of the Tribunal’s 3-Man panel, Justice W. I. Kpochi, the Tribunal dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had on February 28, declared Mr. Benedict Etanabene who polled 37, 107 votes as the duly elected Member to represent Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency at the National Assembly. Hon. Evelyn Oboro polled 29, 917 in the election to come second.