The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, Delta State has ordered a rerun of the February 25, 2023, National Assembly elections for Delta Central Senatorial District.
Justice W. I. Kpochi, while delivering the judgement on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, in a petition marked EPT/DT/Sen/2023 filed by the Delta Central Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ighoyota Amori, nullified the return Chief Ede Dafinone, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of February 25, 2023, Delta Central Senatorial election and ordered a rerun in 23 polling Units in 4 Local Government Areas of Delta Central Senatorial District.
The Tribunal consequently ordered a supplementary election to be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within 90 days in the 23 polling units, out of the 2,180 units in the district.
The 23 polling Units where the Tribunal declared rerun are in Sapele, Okpe, Udu and Ughelli North Local Government Areas.
The Kpochi-led panel submitted that the 2nd respondent through his witnesses, failed to disprove the allegations that the election did not meet Electoral Act and constitutional requirements, as well as manual voting procedure.
The Chairman of the Tribunal equally said that the respondent could not disprove the allegation of electoral malpractices as alleged by the petitioner.
Ighoyota Amori hails from Ethiope West Local Government Area while Ede Dafinone is from Sapele Local Government Area.
Source: Spade Nigeria
