The Court of Appeal in Lagos, today (Saturday, November 04, 2023), sacked the Senate Minority Whip, Darlington Nwokocha of the Labour Party (LP) as the winner of the Abia Central Senatorial election.
The court in its ruling also declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Austin Akobundu as the rightful winner of the election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier declared Nwokocha as the winner of the election but the victory has now been overturned by the Appeal Court.
Reacting to the development, the PDP in a statement via its official account on the X platform, congratulated Akobundu who was once the National Organizing Secretary of the party.
It added that Akobundu and Senator Osita Ngwu, Enugu West are the two Senators of the PDP extractions from the South East region at the National Assembly.
The party wrote: “The former National Organizing Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Col. Austin Akobundu (Rtd), has just been declared by the Appeal Court as the rightful winner of Abia Central Senatorial District of Abia State.
“Senator Austin Akobundu, Abia Central and Senator Osita Ngwu, Enugu West are the two Senators of the PDP extractions from the South East region at the National Assembly.