Delta South: I Should’ve Been Declared Winner – Uduaghan

CHUKA UBAH

The former Governor of Delta State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2019 Delta South Senatorial election, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, in reaction to the judgment of the Election Petition Tribunal said that he should have been declared the winner of the election.

The Tribunal, on Saturday nullified the election of Senator James Manager of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as Senator representing Delta South in the National Assembly. It said that the election was marred by irregularities and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return earlier issued to Senator James Manager immediately.

The three man panel presided over by Justice C. O. Onyaebo, in Asaba, the Delta State capital, equally ordered INEC to conduct a fresh election into the Delta South Senatorial district within the period of 90 days.

In his reaction, the former Governor of Delta State said that the Tribunal should have declared him the winner of the February 23 poll.

“While we are happy with the tribunal’s judgment, which affirmed my party’s position that the election was rigged and characterized with electoral over voting, we are not entirely satisfied with the judgment as the tribunal ought to have deducted the excess illegal votes and declared me and my party rightful winner of the election.”

“In view of this, we shall be challenging the tribunal’s judgment at the Appeal Court to declare us as the outright winner of the February 23rd, 2019 National Assembly Election for Delta South Senatorial District” the statement partly read.

It will be recalled that the former Governor and candidate of the APC, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, had dragged Senator James Manager to the Tribunal, arguing that the election was marred by fraud and irregularities.