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A member of the House of Representatives from Delta State, Ngozi Okolie, recently accused his opponent, Ndudi Elumelu, of thinking he could buy everything with money. Okolie claimed that Elumelu knew he didn’t win the election but still challenged the results at the election tribunal.
During an interview on Arise Television, Okolie stated that the lower tribunal, which nullified his election, was biased towards Elumelu. He believed that Elumelu was trying to find someone who would support his claims.
The court of appeal in Abuja overturned the earlier judgment of the National and State House of Assembly Election Tribunal in Asaba. The tribunal had nullified Okolie’s election and declared Elumelu as the winner. The court of appeal ruled that Okolie was not qualified to contest the election.
Okolie argued that Elumelu challenged his victory because he relied too much on his wealth. He claimed that the tribunal’s judgment was unjust and that the appeal court’s decision restored his faith in the judiciary. Okolie believed that something went wrong in Asaba during the tribunal’s ruling.
According to Okolie, Elumelu knew deep down that he lost the election. However, he mistakenly believed that money could buy him the victory. Okolie emphasized that the judges proved that money cannot buy everything. He accused Elumelu of using his wealth to try and manipulate the outcome of the election, but ultimately failed.
Okolie’s victory in the appeal court highlighted the importance of fairness and justice in the electoral process. He criticized Elumelu for relying on money to influence the election results, emphasizing that money cannot guarantee success. The appeal court’s decision restored Okolie’s confidence in the judiciary and demonstrated that money should not be the determining factor in elections.
