Federal High Court Abuja Sacks Nwaoboshi
… Orders PDP, INEC To Publish Ned Nwoko’s Name As Authentic Winner Of PDP Primaries
By: Patrick Ochei
The
Federal High Court Abuja, today sacked Senator Peter Nwaoboshi,
declaring that from evidence available to the court from the PDP primary
election for Delta North Senatorial District, Ned Nwoko won and so was
the authentic candidate of the party for the 2019 senatorial election.
The presiding Judge, Honourable Justice A.R. Mohammed delivered the judgment which lasted for one hour thirty five minutes.
The
Judge also ordered the PDP and INEC to immediately publish the name of
Prince Ned Nwoko as the authentic candidate of PDP for validly scoring
the majority of votes cast in the PDP primary election for Delta North
senatorial district.
Making further pronouncements, Justice
Mohammed equally ordered Peter Nwaoboshi to stop parading himself as the
Senator-elect for Delta North senatorial district forthwith.
Dissecting
all the matters in contention, the Judge had averred that the onus lied
on PDP as the 2nd Defendant and Peter Nwaoboshi as the 3rd Defendant to
prove that Nwaoboshi actually won the primary election by producing the
primary election materials; but instead refused to respect court orders
for the production of the ballot papers.
He posited that all
evidence as provided by the Plaintiff has proved that Ned Nwoko won the
primary election as conducted by the PDP on the 2nd of October, 2019;
while also maintaining that constitutional provisions were followed in
filing a substantive suit against the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants in the
case.
Speaking to journalists immediately after the judgement,
the lead counsel to the Plaintiff (Nwoko), Barr. Onyeka Nwaokolo said
that this was a landmark judgement.
He stressed that the summary
of the matter was to tell people that manipulation of electoral
processes is no longer in vogue, adding that such could always be
quashed except not properly challenged.
The lawyer affirmed that
the 2nd and 3rd defendants came to an open court and denied that the
exhibits tendered were not the certified true copy of the ballot papers
used in the primary election, even when they couldn’t produce any to
authenticate their case.
According to the counsel, “There is hope
for the common man in this judgement. It’s a landmark judgement, which
has further deepen our democratic beliefs”.
However, representing
Senator Peter Nwaoboshi in court was Barr. Emmanuel Enoiden, who came
with a retinue of lawyers like the counsel to the Plaintiff (Ned Nwoko).
At the conclusion of the verdict, the lawyer (Enoiden) was not available for interview.
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