The Federal High Court in Asaba has overruled the Jones Erue-led executive committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Delta State and nullified candidates fielded by the faction of the party for 2019 elections.
In its judgment, the court, presided over by Justice Toyin Adegoke, upheld the Cyril Ogodo-led Delta APC faction, declaring the executives as duly elected.
Justice Adegoke held that all actions purportedly taken by the Erue-led executives were null and void, thereby nullifying the candidacy of the candidates who emerged from the primaries conducted by the Erue-led executives.
According to Rowland Ekpe, the counsel to the Cyril Ogodo exco, the re-election of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, representing Delta Central and other candidates in the just-concluded elections, is now null and void following the judgment since they all emerged from the primaries conducted by the Erue-led executives.
“The primaries conducted by Mefor Progress, those names are the authentic names,” Ekpe stressed.
Other candidates affected by the judgment include the state governorship candidate, Great Ogboru, and the senatorial candidate for Delta South Senatorial District and immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, among others.
Meanwhile, Mr Okubo Nwachukwu, counsel to the Erue-led executives said they would review the court’s judgment, noting that they would appeal the verdict passed by Justice Toyin Adegoke.
“We will look at the judgment, and see what we are going to do, but hopefully we are going to appeal against the judgment. I am very certain that the appeal will be favourable,” Mr Nwachukwu stated.