Delta Elections Tribunal To Begin Sitting Tomorrow Over Ogboru, Uduaghan, Others’ Petitions

The Delta State Elections Petitions Tribunal Secretary, Ahmed Gusau, has Monday, April, 8, 2019 to commence its inaugural sitting on the petitions filed by aggrieved candidates of various political parties in the just concluded 2019 general elections.

Gusau, had last week told Journalists in Asaba that the tribunal received so far a total of 51 petitions including the ones filed by former governor and Delta South Senatorial candidate of the APC, Emmanuel Uduaghan against his opponent, James Manager of the PDP.

The tribunal had also received the petition of APC governorship candidate, Great Ogboru against Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as well as APC House of Representatives candidate for the Isoko, Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, against the house of representatives minority leader, Leo Ogor of the PDP.

Secretary of the tribunal, Gusau who announced the commencement of the tribunal sitting on Monday, disclosed that some applications had already been granted against various respondents at the preliminary stage.

He added that the tribunal granted the application for substituted service on the respondent in the petitions filed by Emmanuel Uduaghan, immediate past governor of the state and Delta South senatorial candidate of the APC, who is challenging the election of James Manager of the PDP.

The tribunal scribe also disclosed that application for substituted service has also be granted for the APC Senator representing Delta Central, Ovie Omo-Agege, whose election is being challenged by Evelyn Oboro of the PDP, while the application of APC candidate for Delta North, Doris Uboh, was granted for substituted service on the PDP Senator representing Delta North, Peter Nwaoboshi.

According to Gusau, other petitioners who had their applications for substituted service granted were the candidates for the House of Representatives election including Sebastian Okoh, Monday Igbuya, Mariere Ogaga and John Agoda among others.

“The tribunal is at its preliminary stage of serving all the respondents. Once it is served, it is as good as the person was served personally”, he said.

“It is posted at the party’s secretariat and the time starts counting from when the order was served. An order to inspect the materials used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had also been granted.”, Gusau disclosed.