By Gabriel Enogholase & Festus Ahon
BENIN—Court of Appeal, Benin, Thursday, dismissed the appeal by Chief Great Ogboru of Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, against the decision of the election tribunal, Asaba, which upheld the declara-tion of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan as winner of the re-run January 6 governorship election in Delta State by the Indepen-dent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The appellate court upheld the cross appeal by Uduaghan, saying that there was no issue to contend with by the appellant to invoke the jurisdiction of the tribunal.

Meanwhile, prominent Deltans, yesterday, hailed the court’s judgment.

In his reaction, the younger brother of Great Ogboru, Mr. Turney Ogboru said DPP will test the matter at the Supreme Court.

Those who spoke to Vanguard include: Mr. Newworld Safugha, Delta State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Dr. Ebenezer Okorodudu, Mr. Jaro Egbo, Mr. Thomas Ereyitomi, Olorogun John Oguma, Dr. Issac Akpoveta, Olorogun Taleb Tebite, Mr. Fred Majemite and Mr. Godwin Masah.

They described the appe-llate court’s decision as a vic-tory of God for Deltans, adding that it was victory for democracy and the Rule of Law.

The member representing Warri Federal Constituency in the House of Represen-tatives, Mr. Daniel Reyenie-ju, said with the Appeal Court decision, “unfortunate insinuation precipitated by members of an opposition party in Delta State over the issue of the voting strength of Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West, all of which constitute the Warri Federal Constituency, had now been finally laid to rest.”

Safugh said the judgment was “a landmark judgment that will go down in the histo-ry of Nigerian judiciary.”

Okorodudu, one-time Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftain-cy Affairs, said the judgment was expected, adding that the lower tribunal judgment was sound and could not be punctured by a higher tribunal.

They added that the judgment was a vindication of the victory of Governor Uduaghan and PDP in the January 6 rerun election.

Mr. Dan Yingi, member Delta State House of Assembly, described the verdict as one ordained by God. Similarly, Mr. Kennedy Daubry said the court’s decision was an indication that PDP has no opposition in the state.

The Court of Appeal, held that with the success of the cross appeal filed by the governor, the appeal filed by Chief Ogboru contesting the judgment of the lower tribunal had become an academic exercise and therefore struck it out.

The court held that INEC had organised the April 16 election after the four years of Uduaghan had elapsed on May 29, saying that the position of the Constitution on the issue was very clear that the winner will not commence a fresh tenure in office.

The court held that Chief Ogboru participated in the April 16 poll governorship election in the state even when his case was still before the Election Petition Tribunal in Asaba.