Delta Central Senatorial Battle: Omo-Agege In Self-Denial – Emerhor

The leader of the Mainstream Delta All Progressives Congress (APC), Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has expressed confidence the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would soon withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and re-issue it in his (Emerhor’s) name.

Emerhor, in a statement by his media aide, Aghogho Orotomah, referred to a recent judgement by the Federal High Court in Asaba, upheld the Cyril Ogodo-led executives as the lawful APC executive council in Delta state.

The judgment also recognised the primaries held by the council, making Emerhor to declare INEC was already in the process of correcting errors made along the way to the elections in the state.

The party leader, who emerged as the party’s flag-bearer for Delta Central Senatorial District in the primaries held by the Ogodo-led executive council, said the INEC, while issuing certificate of return to winners of the election in the state, refused to issue the certificates for three APC House of Assembly candidates in obedience to the Federal High Court judgement.

He added the ones already issued to Senator Omo-Agege and Rev. Francis Waive would soon be withdrawn to be re-issued to the authentic candidates of the primaries conducted by the Ogodo-led executive council.

“The Federal High Court, Asaba, made a specific order, order no 4 in the court enrolled orders, nullifying the full plate of NASS, Governorship and House of Assembly candidates list of Delta APC submitted to INEC through the Prophet Jones Erue Exco, which contained the following names as APC  senatorial candidates to wit:

Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan for Delta South; Senator Ovie Omo-Agege for Delta Central and Hon Doris Uboh for Delta North.

“Then order 5 went on to identify exhibit S and T as containing the list of the valid and authentic APC NASS, Governorship, and House of Assembly candidates for the 2019 general elections. The senatorial candidates contained in the court certified exhibits are as follows:

Chief Micheal Johnny for Delta South; Olorogun O’tega Emerhor for Delta Central; and Chief Mrs Marian Ali for Delta North.

“These enrolled orders have been served by the court bailiffs on INEC and INEC has begun the process of obedience to the order by refusing to give out the Certificate of Return to three affected candidates of the Prophet Jones Erue annulled list in Asaba on Wednesday March 27th 2019.

“It is therefore obvious that the Certificate of Return already issued to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege is in error and it is only a matter of time for it to be withdrawn by INEC and together with those INEC already withheld, re-issue same to Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and others.

“Senator Omo-Agege has to be in self- denial to continue to grandstand that the Asaba FHC judgement does not affect his candidacy.

“He did the right thing by attempting to seek leave of court to appeal the judgment as an impacted person but the Court of Appeal in Benin shut the door on him for sleeping on his right for the last six months and awarded cost against him.

“Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, the valid candidate and Senator-elect for Delta Central awaits calmly his Certificate of Return from INEC.”