In a recent development, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has overturned the judgment made on July 24 by the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal in Asaba. The initial judgment had declared Ndudi Elumelu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the last election for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State.
However, in a new ruling on Thursday, September 13, the Court of Appeal declared Ngozi Okolie of the Labour Party (LP) as the rightful winner of the election. The appellate court criticized the tribunal for invalidating Okolie’s election and subsequently dismissed the petition filed by Elumelu, which had led to the earlier voided judgment.
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The Court of Appeal upheld the arguments put forward by the Labour Party’s lawyer, Mahmud Magaji (SAN). It concurred that, contrary to the tribunal’s findings, Okolie had been duly nominated and sponsored by his party. Furthermore, the court determined that Okolie had resigned from his position as a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Delta State Government, as mandated by the Constitution.
This decision by the Court of Appeal highlights the importance of thorough and accurate legal processes in electoral disputes and demonstrates the judiciary’s commitment to upholding the rule of law in Nigeria.
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