Emodi: Court reserves ruling

 By Tony Edike

 ENUGU—THE embattled Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial zone at the National Assembly, Senator Joy Emodi, yesterday, asked the Court of Appeal sitting  in Enugu State, to stay the execution of its recent judgment, which ordered her to vacate her seat for the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, candidate, Chief Alphonsus Igbeke, who was declared winner of the Anambra North Senatorial seat.

Emodi had in the alternative, prayed the court to refer the matter to the Supreme Court for review and interpretation of the two contradictory judgments delivered on 10 February 2009, and  25 March 2010, with the former affirming her election and the latter declaring her opponent, Igbeke as winner of the 28 April 2007 senatorial election.

The two prayers were contained in two separate motions filed by Emodi’s counsel, Mr Festus Okoye and were moved at the hearing of the case, yesterday.

The court in the first judgment in appeal by Mrs. Jessie Balonwu against Senator Emodi, upheld the decision of the Anambra State Electoral Petitions Tribunal, which declared Emodi as the winner of the  28 April 2007, Senatorial election, it,  however,  in another appeal by Igbeke, asked Emodi to vacate her seat for Igbeke.

After hearing counsel on the fresh application, the appellate court presided over by Justice Suleiman Galadima, adjourned indefinitely to a date that would be communicated to parties.