... 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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