By Rawlings Ofejiro- Asaba,
A witness called by the All Progressives Congress to testify in the ongoing National Assembly election tribunal sitting in Asaba has agreed that there was a court order and judgment delivered on 17th of October, 2018 for the APC in Delta State not to submit list of candidates to INEC.
APC was sued as 3rd respondent while INEC and Omo-Agege Ovie Augustine were sued as 1st and 2nd respondents respectively in a petition filed by Oboro Evelyn Omavowan, and PDP at the election tribunal sitting in Asaba, Delta state
It would be recalled that Justice Toyin Adegoke of the Federal High Court, Asaba, Delta state in a ruling on 17th of October, 2018, ordered the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, the APC, INEC, Prophet Jones Erue and the plaintiff, Chief Cyril Ogodo to maintain status quo and desist from submitting any list of candidates from Delta State from the two factions to INEC till the substantive suit filed was heard.
In total disobedience to a subsisting valid Court Order, the Prophet Jones Erue faction of the APC went ahead to submit list of candidates to INEC on 18th of October, 2018.
But during cross-examination by Usman O. Sule Esq. lead Counsel to the petitioners (Peoples Democratic Party and Hon. Evelyn Omavowan Oboro), the APC witness Mr. Adehor Ochuko Albert admitted that there was a restraining court order for APC in Delta state not to submit list of candidates to INEC.
With this admission of the APC witness on oath before the election tribunal, APC ought not to have submitted name of Ovie Omo-Agege or names of other candidates to INEC for the 2019 general elections in view of the said order and Judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Asaba at the time the names were submitted.
