Appeal Court Upholds Uduaghan's Election

Source: thewillnigeria.com
DELTA STATE GOVERNOR EMMAUEL UDUAGHAN
DELTA STATE GOVERNOR EMMAUEL UDUAGHAN

BENIN, SEPTEMBER 22, (THEWILL) – The Appeal Court sitting in Benin as the Delta State Election Petition Tribunal on Thursday upheld the election of governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP), in the gubernatorial re-run held on January 6, 2011.

A lower tribunal had earlier ruled in Uduaghan’s favour, but Chief Great Ogboru, candidate of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), approached the Court, seeking to upturn the initial judgement.

Ruling on case No. CA/EPT/229/2011, Justice Raphael Agbo, who delivered judgment on behalf of a five-man panel, dismissed Ogboru’s appeal on technical grounds.

Uduaghan’s first tenure in ended in May, 29, 2011 and he was declared winner of a second election conducted on April 22, 2011, also contested for by the respondent. Agbo said that declaring Ogboru winner of the election would be an exercise in futility, because Ogboru could not say he did not recognise the April election that he had participated in.