National Assembly: Delta Tribunal Declares Election inconclusive, orders re-run

Post created on 10:21 am

The Delta State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal has declared the February 25 Delta central senatorial district election inconclusive.

The tribunal sitting in Abuja ordered a re-run in 48 units across four out of eight local government areas in the district.

The Tribunal held that the Certificate of Return initially issued to Senator Ede Dafinone of the All Progressive Congress (APC) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be set aside.

Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the said election, Ighoyota Amori, had approached the tribunal, seeking to be declared as winner or in the alternative, the court should order a re-run in the contentious four council areas.

Meanwhile, the tribunal upheld the election of Benedict Etanabene of the Labour Party as a member representing the Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie federal constituency.

In validating Etanabene’s election, Justice Kpochi dismissed the petition filed by the candidate of the PDP, Evelyn Oboro for lack of merit.

Oboro, a former member of the House and former Commissioner for Water Resources in the state, had in her petition, sought the disqualification of Etanabene on the ground that he did duly resign his teaching position from the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun.

[PUNCH]