ASABA—DR. EMMANUELUduaghan’s tenure as Governor of Delta State was brought to an abrupt end, yesterday, after the five-man Court of Appeal panel presided over by Justice Monica Dongban-Mensah, in Benin annulled the process that brought him to power. The panel in a unanimous decision ruled that the election was marred with irregularities.
The court decision was upon the electoral petition filed by the gubernatorial candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, Chief Great Ogboru that there was no election in the State. The court in its ruling ordered that a fresh election should be conducted within 90 days.
The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Prince Sam Obi from Ika North East Constituency was ordered to be sworn in as Acting Governor in the interim. Obi was elected as Speaker only last July following the exit of the immediate past Speaker, Mr. Martins Okonta.
Yesterday’s action followed the persistent efforts of Mr. Ogboru to overturn the return of Dr. Uduaghan as the validly elected Governor of Delta State in the April 14, 2007 gubernatorial elections. To his chagrin, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Uduaghan as the winner, issued him certificate of return and he was subsequently sworn-in on may 29, 2007 thus setting the stage for the attendant series of legal combats.
Ogboru, like his Action Congress, AC counterpart, Mr. Peter Okocha approached the Election Tribunal sitting in Asaba, the Delta State Capital, to nullify Uduaghan’s election. While Ogboru anchored his petition on manipulation of the polls, Okocha hinged his on exclusion from the exercise. The tribunal led by Justice Lokulo dismissed his petition and Ogboru headed for the appeal court and got a judgment for the petition to be retried.
Read More:http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/11/court-nullifies-uduaghans-election/
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