By Gabriel Enogholase
BENIN – Court of Appeal in Benin, Edo State, yesterday, affirmed Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as winner of the National Assembly elections for Delta North Senatorial District of Delta State.
Striking out the appeal by Mr. Jude Asikwa of Democratic People’s Party, DPP, against the victory of Senator Okowa of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the appellate court held that same appeal had earlier been dismissed because the appellant filed out of time.
The three-man panel led by Justice Raphael Agbo in its judgment, said: “Even if the court decides to hear the matter today (yesterday) it had already lapsed.”
The court held that as at September 27, when the matter was struck out, it could not have started entertaining a matter whose statutory time for its hearing was 60 days.
