Supreme Court rules on Delta assembly seat Sept. 6

Andrew Orolua

The Supreme Court on Monday fixed September 6, for judgment in a case filed by Chief Jaro Egbo, seeking the nullification of the candidacy of Moses Anaughe as the valid candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Ughelli North Constituency II in Delta state in the 2019 general elections.

Justice Mary Odili, fixed the date when she led a panel of five justices to entertain the suit.

Chief Egbo, who contested the APC primary with Anaughe, approached the court seeking the nullification of the ruling of the Appeal Court which also upheld the lower court’s earlier decision that nullified his (appellant’s) candidacy.

Egbo, not satisfied with the ruling of the lower courts, approached the apex court for redress, praying the court to rule in his favour because the plaintiff only took part in the primary, but didn’t contest the general elections.

He also said that the result issued to INEC by the APC was signed by an appointee of the Delta state chapter of the party and not the national headquarters.

A Federal High Court sitting in Benin-City, Edo state had nullified the candidacy of Egbo, the member-elect representing Ughelli Constituency II in the Delta state House of Assembly on the platform of the APC.

The presiding judge, Justice A. Demi-Ajayi, in her ruling, said the plaintiff, Moses Anaughe won the APC primary conducted on October 5, 2018, but his name was “illegally substituted” for Egbo’s.

She also awarded a cost of N100, 000 in favour of the plaintiff against the APC and Egbo, both of who are first and third defendants respectively.