Justice Catherine Ogunsanya, presiding over the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal in Asaba, Delta State, on Thursday delivered a significant verdict affirming Senator Ned Nwoko as the winner of the 2023 Delta North senatorial election.
Senator Nwoko was the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party PDP in the 2023 Delta North senatorial election. He was declared elected by majority votes in the election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The petitions challenging Nwoko’s victory were separately filed by Peter Nwaoboshi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Kennedy Kanma, the candidate of Labour Party (LP). Both parties argued that the electoral process that brought Nwoko to victory was flawed.
Nwaoboshi contended that the election was invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provision of the Electoral act 2022, with emphasis on improper accreditation of voters in polling units across the nine local government areas that made up the senatorial district.
Similarly, Kanma of Labour Party argued that Nwoko of PDP was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast at the election.
However, after a thorough examination of the evidence presented against Prince Ned Munir Nwoko, the three-member tribunal, led by Justice Catherine Ogunsanya, ruled in favor of the defendant, Ned Nwoko.
The tribunal stated that the petitioners’ claims lacked merit and imposed a fine of N500,000 each against Kennedy Kanma of the LP, and Peter Nwaoboshi of the APC.
Following the tribunal’s decision, Prince Ned Munir Nwoko has, again, been declared winner of the election and will continue to represent Delta North senatorial district in the upper chamber.
