Court reaffirms Sen. Omo-Agege’s candidacy for APC | Nairalaw

The Federal High Court sitting in Warri has upheld the candidacy
of Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege and other All Progressives Congress (APC)
candidates that emerged through the primaries supervised by INEC in
Delta.

The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Ewite, in his judgement
delivered on Tuesday, struck out the suit filed by the applicant,
Mr O’tega Emerhor challenging the validity of the primary that
brought Omo-Agege.

Ewite struck out the suit on the ground of incompetence and
lacking in merit.

He noted that Omo-Agege and Rev. Francis Waive, the winner of
the Ughelli/ Udu Federal Constituency were necessary parties that
ought to have been joined in the suit.

The judge further observed that Emerhor failed to deny the
counter-affidavit filed by the Independent National Electoral
Commission, that it did not monitor the primary for which he
purportedly emerged.

“Failure to deny the counter-affidavit is an admission which
required no further proof that INEC only monitored the primaries in
which Sen. Omo-Agege emerged.

“INEC is to supervise or monitor primary elections and not to
conduct,” he said.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the judgement, counsel to the
APC, Mr Lucky Ajokperiniovo described the court verdict as a
`landmark’ for the party and all the candidates that emerged
legitimately through the primaries.

“It is a landmark judgment; the court has again reaffirmed the
position of the Supreme Court to say that persons who are not
joined as parties to a suit are not bind by the judgement given by
that court.

“The court struck out the suit filed by Emerhor for incompetence
and lack of merit.

“The court said Omo-Agege’s primary elections remain the valid
and legitimate primary election conducted by the National Working
Committee (NWC) of the APC.

“The consent judgement is a judgement of court that is valid and
binding on all persons until it is set aside.

“This judgement has given the party huge relief in determining
who the senatorial candidate in the 2019 general election in Delta
Central,” he said.

Also, counsel representing INEC, Mr Robert Emukpoeruo said that
the national electoral umpire was neutral and impartial.

“It is the statutory duty of INEC to monitor primary elections
and report those who won and their scores.

“The report by INEC shows that Omo-Agege won the primaries
conducted by the NWC,” he said.

Counsel to Emerhor, Mr G. C Igbokwe in his remark said, “We are
happy with the judgment.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Omo-Agege, who is
the incumbent senator representing the Delta Central at the upper
legislative chamber, was re-elected in the recent National Assembly
elections. (NAN)

El-Rufai holds Security Meeting over
Abuja-Kaduna-Birnin-Gwari Road

Police and other security agencies are reinforcing their
presence on the major expressways leading in and out of Kaduna.
This was announced following a meeting of the Kaduna State Security
Council summoned by Malam Nasir El-Rufai to assess the situation on
the Kaduna-Abuja and Kaduna-Birnin Gwari roads.

Governor El-Rufai presided over the meeting via teleconference
from Dakar, Senegal, where he accompanied President Muhammadu
Buhari.

Present at the meeting were Brigadier General OJ. Akpor,
Garrison Commander I Division, Air Commodore I. Sani, Base
Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police AT Abdullahi, State
Director Department of State Services, Ahmed Idris Koya, Modu Bunu,
Commandant Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Secretary to
the State Government, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, DIG Murtala Abbas,
Special Adviser on Internal Security, Adamu Mansur, Permanent
Secretary, Cabinet Affairs and Special Services and Samuel Aruwan,
Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity.

The Kaduna State Security Council appealed for calm, assuring
citizens plying the Abuja-Kaduna and Kaduna-Birnin Gwari roads of
robust security patrols on the resolutions adopted for immediate
implementation.

The meeting assured residents that the government will continue
to partner with security agencies operating in the state towards
the protection of life and property of the citizenry. Further
details of the meeting were not made public to avoid undermining
security measures.

The Security Council released the following helplines for
citizens to contact security agencies:

• 09034000060
• 08170189999

Signed

Samuel Aruwan
Senior Special Assistant to the Governor (Media and Publicity)