The 2015 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta state, O’tega Emerhor has said Senator Ovie Omo-Agege can’t run away from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s imminent withdrawal of the Certificate of Return awarded him as Senator-elect for Delta Central District.
INEC had earlier declared Omo-Agege of the APC winner of February 23 election for the Delta Central Senatorial seat and subsequently issued him a Certificate of Return.
Shortly afterwards, a Federal high court in Asaba nullified the senator’s candidacy and those of other Delta state lawmakers who secured election tickets under Prophet Jones Erue’s faction of the party.
The court in same breathe upheld the Chief Cyril Ogodo led Delta APC under which Olorogun Emerhor secured his Delta Central Senatorial ticket for the February 23 election.
But Omo-Agege in a reaction claimed the court nullification does not affect his emergence as Senator-elect.
However, Emerhor, in a statement on Monday by his aide on Media and Social Communications, Aghogho Orotomah, described Omo-Agege’s continued grandstanding that the court judgement does not affect his candidacy as self-deceit.
The statement reads, “The federal high court, Asaba Order No 4 in the enrolled orders specifically nullified the full plate of NASS, Governorship and House of Assembly candidates Delta APC submitted to INEC through the Prophet Erue Exco which contained names as APC Senatorial candidates to wit: Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta South, Sen Omo-Agege, Delta Central and Hon Doris Uboh, Delta North.
“Order 5 went on to identify Exhibits S and T as containing valid and authentic APC NASS, Governorship, and House of Assembly candidates for the 2019 general elections. The valid candidates listed in the court certified exhibits include
Chief Micheal Johnny, Delta South, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, Delta Central and Chief Mrs Marian Ali, Delta North.
“These enrolled orders have been served by the court bailiff on INEC and INEC has begun the process of obedience to the order by refusing to give out the Certificates of Return to three affected state assembly candidates of the Prophet Erue annulled list in Asaba on Wednesday March 27th 2019.
“It is therefore obvious that the Certificate of Return already issued to Sen Omo-Agege is in error and it is only a matter of time for it to be withdrawn by INEC and together with those INEC already withheld, re-issue same to Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and others.
“While Omo-Agege has been in self deceit in continued grandstanding that the court judgement does not affect his candidacy, he right attempted seeking leave of court to appeal the judgment as an impacted person.
“Expectedly, the Court of Appeal in Benin shut the door on him for sleeping on his right for the last six months and awarded cost against him. Olorogun Emerhor, the valid candidate and Senator-elect for Delta Central awaits calmly his Certificate of Return from INEC.”
