Tribunal affirms Ochor’s election, supporters celebrate

Rt. Hon. Christopher Ochor Ochor.

The House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Asaba, today Wednesday, August 11, 2019 dismissed the case filled by Mr. David Ochonogor of the All Progressive Congress  (APC) against the Independent Electoral Commission, ( INEC) which joined the People's Democratic Party, PDP, and the winner of the 2019 House of Assembly election of Ukwuani Constituency, Rt. Hon. Christopher Ochor Ochor.

Delivering the judgment, the three man panel headed by Justice  E.  E.  D Ngele, answering the question if the petitioner was unlawfully excluded from the ballot, ruled that the case was a pre-election one, and that the APC fielded a candidate for the election.

The panel stated that before the petitioner got his judgment at the Supreme  Court as the rightful candidate for the APC, the   election had already been  conducted and a winner declared and held that as such he cannot come back to ask the tribunal to restore back his candidacy as a result of unlawful exclusion. This is because the electoral law allows to either run from the regular court to Supreme Court or from the tribunal to the Appeal Court. 

It could be recalled that prior to the 2019.election, the APC had factional issues,  which led to multiple candidate in the state,  but that however,  the Supreme Court gave judgment in his favour as the rightful candidate of APC, instead of Mr.  Eze Omolu.

Meanwhile, the Ochor camp went has been busy celebrating the judgment. 

The Deputy Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly,  Rt. Hon Christopher Ochor Ochor reacting , described the judgment as laudable saying that the  panel in their wisdom had ruled that the judgment Mr. David Ochonogor received in his favour was after the elections had been conducted and won. 

Ochor said that with the judgment his faith in the judiciary had been further confirmed,  even as he used the occasion to call on the petitioner to join hands with him to move the state constituency forward. He thanked his teeming supporters for having faith in him, and that they should expect better representation from him.

Commenting on the Judgement, Mr. Chukwuemeke  Osemeke,  said the ruling was a justice for the common man.  He stated that the winner of the 2019 election, Rt. Hon Christopher Ochor Ochor can not suffer for the pain the petitioner suffered from his party,  the APC.