Paul Osuyi, Asaba

THE National Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal sitting in Asaba, Delta State, has nullified the election of James Manager, a fifth term senator on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for Delta south senatorial district and ordered INEC to conduct a re-run within 90 days, just as it affirmed the election of the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege as the senator representing Delta central senatorial district and Peter Nwaoboshi as senator representing Delta north.

In his three-hour judgment, Justice Onyeabor who headed Panel 11 of the tribunal that nullified Manager’s election ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to James Manager.

Candidate of the APC on February 23, 2019, Delta south senatorial district election and immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan had approached the tribunal alleging over voting and irregularities by INEC and PDP against him and prayed for the cancellation.

Uduaghan, in his petition, disputed the results churned out from Burutu, Bomadi, Patani, Isoko North, Warri South-West and Warri North local government areas of the district.

But Omo-Agege of the All Progressive Congress (APC) was lucky as he was declared the winner of the February 23, 2019 election by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC).

His closest rival, Evelyn Oboro of the People Democratic Party (PDP) had approached the tribunal, alleging fraud in the election, and sought to be declared the winner.

In a four-hour judgment, the panel I of the tribunal presided by Justice A.M Abubaka declared that the petition filed by Oboro and the PDP lacked merit, and subsequently threw it out.

Also, the PDP was lucky as panel III of the tribunal upheld the election of Peter Nwaoboshi as the senator representing Delta north.

The tribunal session which was presided over by Justice E.I Ngene dismissed the petition brought by APC candidate for the February 23, 2019, Delta north senatorial district election, Doris Uboh.

Justice Ngene held that the petition was dead on arrival, describing it as vague, ambiguous and imprecise, and therefore struck it out.

Uboh, a former member of the House of Representatives, had challenged the election of Nwaoboshi, alleging irregularities.