Court Sacks APC Speaker, Orders INEC to Conduct Fresh Election

 

Indications have emerged that an All Progressive Congress House of Assembly speaker, Honourable Terkimbi Ikyange, may be losing his seat at the Benue state hallowed chambers following a judgement by the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi on Thursday, November 19.

  

The presiding judge, Justice Binta Nyako-led High Court in its verdict sacked the speaker who represents Ushongo and Mbagwa state constituencies in the state House of Assembly and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return it issued to him with immediate effect, New Telegraph reports.

 

Furthermore, the court was reported to have ordered the electoral commission to within the next 90 days conduct a fresh election into state constituencies where IKyange represents at the moment.

 

Justice Nyako, during in his ruling, ordered the commission to also respect the 2005 judgment that ordered the restoration of the Mbagwa state constituency to conduct election into Ushongo and Mbagwa state constituencies or any other names that it may be called.

 

The embattled APC speaker who contested the Ushongo state constituency won election and eventually emerged the speaker. Ikyange had emerged speaker after the inauguration of the 8th Assembly by Governor Samuel Ortom around June.

 

He had polled 17 votes in the hallowed chambers against Honourable Dominic Ucha of Tiev constituency who pulled only 13.

 

However, following the court verdict, the speaker would be facing a fresh election.