Twist In C'River North As INEC Issues Jarigbe Fresh Certificate
Following Appeal Court
ruling in Abuja which
de-clared Mr Jarigbe
Agom Jarigbe as the duly nominated candidate of the PDP
and the rightful winner of the
election, the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) has issued a certificate
of return to him.
Dr. Stephen Odey previously declared by INEC to
have won the recently conducted Cross River North bye
election and was subsequently sworn in by the Senate.
Going by the Appeal Court
judgement, Mr Jarigbe is now
the senator-elect representing
Cross River North Senatorial
District.
The certificate which was
presented to the incoming
senator by INEC national commissioner and chairman of its
information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye,
therefore, nullifies that issued
earlier to Dr. Stephen Odey.
Senator-elect, Jarigbe
Agom Jarigbe will be sworn in
on the January 26, 2021 and
consequently, any previously
issued certificate of return for
the position stands retrieved.
In a statement issued by the
senator -elect shortly after receiving his certificate of return
at INEC headquarters, Abuja,
and made available to newsmen, Jarigbe said " unlike those
who were coerced by their
boss to run for the Cross River
North bye election, I came for
the good people of Cross River
North.
He said "I am motivated that
they believe in me and find me
worthy to reclaim the lost glory
of our region. Like I have always said, Cross River North
and her people remain my topmost priority. "
Jarigbe added that "Together we shall build the Cross
River North of our dreams and
not personal or family dynasties. We shall build reliable institutions for the benefit and
prosperity of all. God bless
Cross River North.
The Appeal Court in its
unanimous judgment on December 17, upheld the judgment of the trial court that the
primaries which produced
Jarigbe was conducted with
the correct and authentic list
of delegates and that Mr.
Jarigbe having scored the
highest number of valid votes
in the primary election is the
validly nominated candidate of
the PDP.
In his Suit No. CV/77/2020,
the claimant, John Alaga had
urged the court to disqualify
the candidature of Jarigbe on
strength of the alleged false
information and other allegations.
But in his judgment, Justice
Mohammed sitting in court 27,
Apo Division of the FCT High
Court held that the claimant
has failed to prove his case.
Justice Binta Mohammed
had in her judgment, held that
contrary to the claim of the
claimant, John Alaga, the defendant (Jarigbe) did not supply any false information to the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in his
INEC Form CF001 by purporting to have sat for / and or
obtained educational qualification making him eligible to
contest for the Cross River
North Senatorial Bye election.
The court also held that the
Cross River North senatorial
primary election of the PDP
wherein Jarigbe (1st defendant) was nominated as the
senatorial candidate was conducted with the authentic list
of the ward and local government area executives of the
party.
Justice Mohammed further held that "the first defendant
having won the highest number of valid votes at the said
primary election is validly
nominated as the candidate of
the PDP for the Cross River
North Senatorial Bye election
scheduled to hold on October
31, 2020 or any other date.
That the primary election of
the PDP for the Cross River
North Senatorial held on September 5, 2020, was duly nominated by INEC (2nd defendant)
and therefore valid and in accordance with the law.
The court therefore directed
INEC, sued as the second defendant, to include and publish the name of Mr.Jarigbe on
the list of candidates for the bye election scheduled for
December 5, 2020.
The INEC was also further
ordered to give Mr. Jarigbe
every other rights and privileges pertaining to his lawful
qualification and nomination
as the PDP candidate.
The primary election of the
PDP has been enmeshed in legal tussle since September 5,
when it was conducted.
But Mr Stephen Odey at
NTA programme, Political
Update Live had said he would
head for the Supreme Court for
determination on the final matter of who is the authentic
party candidate and winner of
December 5 by-election for the
zone.
Shiemibix , January 12, 2021
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