Hope rises for Uduaghan as tribunal sacks Manager from Senate, orders election rerun within 90 days

The Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Asaba, on Saturday, nullified the election of Senator James Manager of the Peoples Democratic Party as the senator representing Delta South senatorial district.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the tribunal Chairman, Justice O. O. Onyeabo, in his judgment, ordered a re-run within 90 days.

Former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, candidate of the All Progressives Congress at the February 2019 National Assembly Elections, had approached the tribunal, praying it to invalidate Manager’s victory.

Uduaghan in his petition alleged that there were widespread electoral malpractices by the PDP and INEC.

Justice Onyeabo, in his judgment, ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Manager.

The tribunal chairman said the defendants could not defend the allegations of over-voting and other irregularities during the election.

The petitioner had listed the areas where the electoral irregularities were discovered to include Burutu, Bomadi, Patani, Isoko North, Warri South-West and Warri North local government areas.

In his reaction however, Counsel to Manager, Mr. Larry Selekeowei (SAN), said that his client was not satisfied with the judgment.

He told newsmen shortly after the judgment that they would go back and study the judgment thoroughly before appealing it. Punch