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The National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal convened in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, has affirmed Senator Ned Nwoko of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the legitimate victor in the Delta North Senatorial Election conducted on February 25, 2023.
The three-member Tribunal, led by Justice Catherine Ogunsola, has dismissed the petition filed by Ken Kanmma of the Labour Party (LP) on the grounds of lack of merit.
In delivering their unanimous judgment, the Tribunal ruled that the petitioner failed to substantiate their case, as they were unable to present any relevant documents to support the allegations of non-compliance outlined in the petition.
Furthermore, the Tribunal also rejected a petition filed by the All Progressive Congress (APC) against Nwoko, which was initiated by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi. The Tribunal not only dismissed the petition but also imposed a penalty of N500,000 on the petitioner.
Additionally, the court has issued an order to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize a supplementary election within a 90-day period. This directive follows a petition brought forth by the PDP candidate, Michael Diden, challenging the victory of the APC candidate, Joel Onowakpo-Thomas, in the Delta South Senatorial District poll.
Diden and his party, in their petition, requested the court to invalidate INEC’s declaration of Onowakpo-Thomas as the senator-elect. They argued that he had not been duly elected with the majority of lawful votes cast in the election and that his election was invalid due to non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act of 2022.
Among their requests, the petitioners sought an order from the Tribunal to review the election results from Warri South Local Government Area, considering only the lawful votes in favor of the parties. They asked the Tribunal to declare the election winner based on this reviewed collation.
The Tribunal concurred with the petitioner’s claim and subsequently declared a rerun only in Warri South Council, where the election had reportedly been canceled.
