Senate 2019: Uduaghan not disqualified from Delta South polls ― INEC
By THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has broken its silence over a purported judgement by an Abuja High Court nullifying the candidature of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Delta South Senatorial candidate, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday at INEC headquarters in Asaba, Delta State, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Cyril Omorogbe, said the Commission was not aware of such judgement against the former governor.
Dr Omorogbe said the court had at no time ordered the electoral umpire to delete Dr Uduaghan’s name from the list of contestants in the election.
“I am only aware of the case of eight wards in Burutu that later came to 10. We have postponed the matter until after elections. I will not talk much about the court case in Ethiope West (involving Hon. Halim Agoda, a former member of the House of Representatives and Chief Edojah) until I get information from the high command of the commission. We are not aware of any other judgement.”
Uduaghan had through his Media Assistant, Monoyo Edon, debunked his disqualification and said he remains the authentic candidate for the Delta South senatorial election for the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday, this week.
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Speaking further, the REC denied reports that his deployment to Delta was influenced by the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, stressing that he is not a staff under the APC chairman.
The press briefing cane on the instance of a reported Abuja Federal High Court Order, directing the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh primary for APC Delta Delta South senatorial district, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Delta State, Dr. Cyril Omorogbe, on Wednesday in Asaba, said his office is not aware of any court judgment nullifying the senatorial candidacy of Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan in Saturday, February 23 poll.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had reportedly, last week, nullified the primary election of APC for Delta South for non-conformity with relevant sections of the Electoral Act, and ordered the party to conduct a fresh exercise to be monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
But at the press conference at the instance of INEC in Asaba, the REC said that he was unaware of the court judgment.
He said that his office in Asaba did not handle such legal issues but on a formal directive from the national headquarters of INEC in Abuja.
According to him, “In Asaba, we don’t actually handle most of those judgements; it is actually done in Abuja.
“I am particularly aware of one in Warri area where the judgment was in 10 wards that now became 12 wards, and it wanted us to revert back to 10 wards.
“This information came last week, and it was not the best time to address it. So, we were able to postpone it till after the election for discussion.
“In terms of the number of court judgments, I have never taken the time to start counting them.
“I am aware of the judgment for Ethiope West, but I will not talk on it until I get something from the commission in terms of a formal letter telling us what it is,” Omorogbe said.
Omorogbe, who’s a native of Edo State, said he was in Delta State to conduct free and fair elections.
He debunked a rumour in some quarters that he was deliberately posted to the state to do the bidding of the national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole who had consistently boasted of unseating the incumbent governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 9 governorship election.
“I have never met Adams Oshiomhole in my life. I left Edo State over 30 years ago; I have never seen Oshiomhole.
“I am not here to side any party, I am here to run a free and fair election. I don’t really answer to anyone, I will definitely do my best, my doors are open.
“I am from Edo State, part of it has to do with the fact that I don’t have any stake, it does not bother me; I just want the best for the state where I work,” he stressed.
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