Panel Two of the National and State Assemblies Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu State on Tuesday, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election in Enugu East Senatorial District.

The tribunal gave the order after nullifying the April 28 Senatorial election that ushered in Senator Gilbert Nnaji to represent Enugu East Senatorial Zone.

The nullification also followed a petition by the candidate of People for Democratic Change (PDC) and former Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, challenging INEC’s declaration of Senator Nnaji as winner of the senatorial seat.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Matthew Adewara, held that there were preponderance of evidence especially by the forensic expert brought by Dr. Nnamani, indicating that there were irregularities and over voting in favor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and reduction of votes against PDC among numerous cases of mutilations, cancellations, and discrepancies in the result sheets.

The tribunal again held that the level of such irregularities and malpractices were not only gross and fundamental, but substantial enough to cancel the whole election in Enugu East senatorial zone.

The election was nullified, but no time frame was fixed for INEC to conduct a fresh election.

However, all the counsels to the petition commended the tribunal for its industry and painstaking effort in deciding the case in which for them, justice had been served.