- The Federal High Court in Warri, the capital of Delta state, has upheld the candidacy of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of the APC
- The court also said other candidates of the party who emerged through the APC's primaries monitored by INEC
- The petition challenging the candidacy of Omo-Agege by O’tega Emerhor was struck out for lacking merits
The Federal High Court in Warri, the capital of Delta state, has approved the candidacy of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and other candidates of All Progressives Congress (APC) that emerged through the party’s primaries.
Justice Emeka Ewite, the presiding judge, in his ruling on Tuesday, April 2, said the suit filed by the petitioner, O’tega Emerhor, challenging the candidacy of Omo-Agege lacks merits, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
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He said that Omo-Agege and Reverend Francis Waive, the winder of Ughelli/Udu federal constituency were important parities that should have been involved in the suit.
The presiding judge also said that Emerhor failed to argue against the counter-affidavit filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which said that it did not monitor the primary.
“Failure to deny the counter-affidavit is an admission which required no further proof that INEC only monitored the primaries in which senator Omo-Agege emerged.
“INEC is to supervise or monitor primary elections and not to conduct,” he said.
Lucky Ajokperiniovo, the defense counsel to the APC said the court judgment is a big success for all the candidates who passed through the party’s primaries.
He said: “It is a landmark judgment; the court has again reaffirmed the position of the Supreme Court to say that persons who are not joined as parties to a suit are not bound by the judgement given by that court.
“The court struck out the suit filed by Emerhor for incompetence and lack of merit.
“The court said Omo-Agege’s primary elections remain the valid and legitimate primary election conducted by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC.
“The consent judgement is a judgement of the court that is valid and binding on all persons until it is set aside.
“This judgement has given the party huge relief in determining who the senatorial candidate in the 2019 general election in Delta Central,” he said.
Robert Emukpoeruo, the counsel to the INEC, while reacting to the judgment said that the electoral body has always been impartial.
“It is the statutory duty of INEC to monitor primary elections and report those who won and their scores.
“The report by INEC shows that Omo-Agege won the primaries conducted by the NWC,” he said.
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Recall that Legit.ng earlier reported that the senator representing Delta central senatorial district, Ovie Omo-Agege, has said that he is the most qualified candidate for the office of the deputy senate president at the 9th Senate.
Omo-Agege who is currently participating in a two-week induction programme being organised by the National Assembly management for members and senators- elect at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja said he will soon declare for the office of the deputy senate president following calls and support from colleagues for the position.
The senator said bearing in mind that the position for the DSP has been zoned to the south south by the ruling APC which controls majority in the Senate, he would want to use he opportunity to restore the greatness of the Nigerian government.
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