Hon. John Gaul-Lebo, the former Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, had earlier filed a suit to challenge Egbona’s victory in the February 23, 2019 House of Representatives election.

According to Punch, John had asked the court to nullify the election, saying there were “massive irregularities.”

He was also reported to have contended that Egbona was not APC’s lawful candidate.

While delivering judgment on Wednesday, September 4, 2019, Justice Vincent Agabata, who was he head of the three-man tribunal said that as of February 23, 2019, Egbona was not qualified to contest the election, Punch reports.

He therefore rules that Egbon’s votes in the election were “defiant votes and therefore invalid and unlawful.”

The Justice also ruled that John, the PDP candidate, “scored the highest number of valid votes in the election and so, the certificate of return erroneously issued to Egbona should be withdrawn forthwith and issued to John Gaul-Lebo.”