diff --git a/bigchaindb/upsert_validator/validator_utils.py b/bigchaindb/upsert_validator/validator_utils.py
index 83df4ea6..8451c262 100644
--- a/bigchaindb/upsert_validator/validator_utils.py
+++ b/bigchaindb/upsert_validator/validator_utils.py
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ import codecs
 import base64
 import binascii
 
-from abci.types_pb2 import (Validator,
-                            ValidatorUpdate,
+from abci.types_pb2 import (ValidatorUpdate,
                             PubKey)
 from bigchaindb.common.exceptions import InvalidPublicKey
 
@@ -14,7 +13,7 @@ def encode_validator(v):
     pub_key = PubKey(type='ed25519',
                      data=bytes.fromhex(ed25519_public_key))
     return ValidatorUpdate(pub_key=pub_key,
-                     power=v['power'])
+                           power=v['power'])
 
 
 def decode_validator(v):
diff --git a/tests/tendermint/conftest.py b/tests/tendermint/conftest.py
index 14302f5d..7549246d 100644
--- a/tests/tendermint/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/tendermint/conftest.py
@@ -15,10 +15,8 @@ def validator_pub_key():
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def init_chain_request():
-    addr = codecs.decode(b'9FD479C869C7D7E7605BF99293457AA5D80C3033', 'hex')
     pk = codecs.decode(b'VAgFZtYw8bNR5TMZHFOBDWk9cAmEu3/c6JgRBmddbbI=',
                        'base64')
-    val_a = types.ValidatorUpdate( power=10,
-                            pub_key=types.PubKey(type='ed25519', data=pk))
-
+    val_a = types.ValidatorUpdate(power=10,
+                                  pub_key=types.PubKey(type='ed25519', data=pk))
     return types.RequestInitChain(validators=[val_a])
diff --git a/tests/tendermint/test_core.py b/tests/tendermint/test_core.py
index 2ceab619..a1007633 100644
--- a/tests/tendermint/test_core.py
+++ b/tests/tendermint/test_core.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: (Apache-2.0 AND CC-BY-4.0)
 # Code is Apache-2.0 and docs are CC-BY-4.0
 
-import codecs
 import json
 import pytest
 import random
@@ -14,7 +13,6 @@ from abci.types_pb2 import (
     RequestInfo,
     RequestBeginBlock,
     RequestEndBlock,
-    Validator,
     ValidatorUpdate,
 )
 
@@ -49,10 +47,9 @@ def generate_address():
 
 
 def generate_validator():
-    addr = codecs.decode(generate_address(), 'hex')
     pk, _ = generate_key_pair()
     pub_key = PubKey(type='ed25519', data=pk.encode())
-    val = ValidatorUpdate( power=10, pub_key=pub_key)
+    val = ValidatorUpdate(power=10, pub_key=pub_key)
     return val