Appeal court declares APGA, Labour Party candidates winners for Brass, Ogbia Constituency 2 elections

The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Capital has declared Mr.Alfred Belemote Watson, of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, winner of the Brass Constituency 2 election for the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

The court by its recent ruling, has increased the number of the opposition members to five out of twenty four members in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

In its ruling, the Appeal Court upheld the earlier ruling of the State House of Assembly Tribunal and ordered
the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue Mr.Watson his certificate of return.

The Court also upheld the ruling of the Tribunal nullifying the election of Dr. Michael Awoli Anapurere of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, representing Ogbia constituency 2 in the State House of Assembly.

The appellate court then declared Mr.Gibson Munalayefa of Labour Party as the winner of the election having scored the highest valid votes cast.

Only recently, the court sacked Ms. Naomi Ogoli of the PDP as member representing Ogbia Constituency
three and declared Mr.Gabriel Ogbara of the African Democratic Congress, ADC,as the authentic winner of the election in the constituency.

In the 2015 general election, Mr.Ebiye Tarabina of APGA was elected for Kolokuma/Opokuma constituency 2, while Mr.Sunny Israel Goli of All Progressives Congress, APC, was elected lawmaker representing Brass Constituency 1