Delta Central: A’Court Affirms Omo-Agege, Igbakpa, Waive, Afe’s Elections

By Eseoghene Emuke

The Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, Edo State capital, on Monday affirmed the election victories of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and House of Representatives members from Delta Central Senatorial District in the February 23, 2019 National Assembly election.

Representative members whose elections were affirmed by the appellate court are Rev. Francis Waive, Ben Igbakpa and Efe Afe.

The court affirmed the decision of the Election Tribunal which had earlier upheld the election of Omo-Agege who won on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta Central. a jauro

Hon. Evelyn Oboro, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election, was challenging the declaration of the Deputy President of the Senate as the winner of the election in the district.

But in a unanimous ruling delivered by Justice A. Jauro on Monday, dismissed Oboro’s petition for lack of merit and subsequently upheld the ruling of the election petition tribunal which had earlier afffirmed Omo-Agege’s victory.

Similarly, the appellate court also affirmed the election victory of the member representing Ughelli North, South and Udu Federal Constituency, Rev. Francis Waive, on the platform of APC.

The court dismissed the petition filed by the PDP candidate, Chief Samuel Marierie, for failing to prove alleged over voting and irregularities in the election.

Meanwhile, Court of Appeal has upturned the decision of the tribunal which sacked the member representing Ethiope Federal Constituency, Hon. Ben Igbakpa of the PDP.

The court held that the tribunal erred by declaring the candidate of the APC, Hon. Halims Agoda as the winner of the election.

Also, the election of Hon. Efe Afe of the PDP representing Uvwie, Okpe and Sapele Federal Constituency was also upheld by the learned justices.