The Court of Appeal sitting in Asaba has dismissed the judgement of the National and State Houses of Assembly election petitions tribunal and upheld the victory of Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas as the winner of the February 25 Delta South Senatorial District election.
Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, who delivered the judgement on behalf of the panel, found the five issues in the appeal filed by Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas of merit.
The court awarded a cost of N250,000 against Michael Diden, aka Ejele, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recall that the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Michael Diden, aka Ejele and his party had challenged the victory of the Joel-Onowakpo in the 2023 National Assembly election, asking the tribunal to void the Independent National Electoral Commission’s declaration of Joel-Onowakpo as the winner of the 2023 senatorial election.
Diden said Joel-Onowakpo was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast at the poll.
A three-man panel headed by Justice Cathrine Ogunsola, in her ruling, had declared that the election that brought in Joel-Onowakpo was inconclusive and, therefore, ordered the electoral body to conduct a supplementary election in the Warri South council area of Delta South senatorial district within 90 days.
