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The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal, situated at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos, issued a groundbreaking ruling, declaring the return of Mr. Thaddeus Atta of the Labour Party as the duly elected representative for Eti Osa Federal Constituency null and void.
The tribunal cited inconclusive elections as the basis for its decision.
The tribunal’s verdict has set in motion a significant political development in the Eti Osa Federal Constituency, as it directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize a supplementary election within 90 days.
This supplementary election will be conducted in 33 polling units where voting did not take place during the initial election.
Responding to the tribunal’s decision, Mr. Thaddeus Atta addressed his constituents through a statement posted on social media.
He emphasized that he was not “sacked” by the court but rather, a re-run (supplementary election) has been ordered in the 32 polling units where elections did not occur.
He assured his constituents that he remains committed to working for Eti Osa and urged them to remain calm, stating, “We will get through this together.”
The initial election, which took place on February 25, 2023, saw the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declare Thaddeus Atta as the winner with 24,075 votes.
Bankole Wellington (Banky W) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured 18,668 votes, while Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro (IBO) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) garnered 16,901 votes.
Both Banky W and IBO contested the election results and filed petitions challenging the outcome.
