Ogwuche Won Benue PDP Rep Ticket As FIRS Staff - Court Declares Candidate Agbo

The Court of Appeal declared Francis Ottah Agbo the validly nominated candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) for the Federal Constituency of Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo in Benue State.

Judge B.I. Gafai of the Abuja Division delivered the unanimous decision of a three-member panel.

Ms Aida Ogwuche had been declared the winner of the primary by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Rendering judgment Thursday, the court said she was still on staff with the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) at the time of the election.

The panel ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to him and issue a new one to Agbo who came second.

Judge Gafai noted that Ogwuche should have resigned from his FIRS job before challenging,

"The lower court's decision recognizing the participation and election of the first respondent in the election is unlawful and unlawful," he said.

The judge cited Section 66(i)(f) of the 1999 Constitution in declaring Ogwuche's election illegal and invalid.

The Federal High Court in Makurdi declared Ogwuche the duly elected candidate of the PDP on 11 November 2022.

Agbo then applied to the Court of Appeals for an order disqualifying Ogwuche on the grounds that she had contested while in FIRS.

The lawmaker is currently chairman of the House Committee on Narcotics and Drugs.