NAIROBI– Lagdera Member of Parliament Abdikadir Hussein Mohamed has welcomed the decision by the Court of Appeal upholding his August election victory overturning a High Court verdict that nullified his election.

Speaking at Savannah Restaurant in Nairobi on Friday where a mammoth of his supporters turned out to celebrate his win at the Court, Mr. Mohamed said he is deeply honoured to welcome the decision by the appellate court that confirmed his legitimacy.

“I am humbled and honoured by the decision of the Court of Appeal to uphold my legitimacy of my election as a member of Parliament for Lagdera constituency.”he said.

He emphasized that the journey has been not been rosy accentuating that the trials they have gone through is what they are building on to better the constituency.

“This journey has not been without challenges but it’s through these trials that our commitment to progress and betterment of our constituency has been truly tested.” said the MP.

The legislator also expressed gratitude to the people of Lagdera who stood with him in thick and thin during the petition pledging to improve the livelihood of his constituents.

“I want to express my gratitude to the people of Lagdera who stood by me during this time and I pledge to continue working tirelessly to fulfill the promises we made.” he asserted.

The ODM candidate further underscored that he will prioritize the security and education sector in the remainder of his term highlighting that education is a crucial component of life of a human being.

“I would ensure in the remaining four years I sort out the security and education sector and also deal with the water crisis in the constituency.” he added.

Abdikadir extended an olive branch to his competitor calling on him to embrace the decree of the Almighty and work with him hand in hand in a bid to reform the lives of the constituents.

“I would like to call upon my opponent to endorse the decision of the court and work with me to better the constituency.” said the lawmaker.

Elders who spoke at the event wholeheartedly welcomed the Court of Appeal decision, challenged the MP to work hard and take the constituency to a greater height.

A three judge bench comprising of justices Kathurima M’Inoti, Hellen Omondi and Ngenye Machari affirmed the election win of Mr. Mohamed asserting that he was validly elected and that the High Court erred in quashing his August election victory.

“It is clear to this court that petitioners Abass Ibrahim Kafow and Mohamed Ibrahim Sugow did not discharge the legal burden of proof to the required standard to prove alleged irregularities.

The burden having not been discharged, the trial court erred in invalidating Hussein’s election on account of un-pleaded matters,” the judges ruled.

Hussein, who vied for the position on an ODM party ticket was declared the winner after receiving 5,939 votes in last year’s elections.

His closest rival Abdiqani Zeitun managed to garner 4,863 votes.