By FESTUS Ahon
UGHELLI—THE Court of Appeal, sitting in Benin City, Edo State, has ordered the retrial of the petition of Mr. Solomon Ighrakpata of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP against Mr. Efe Otobroku of the Democratic Peoples Party, DPP by the lower tribunal handling State House of Assembly Election petition sitting in Asaba.

Ighrakpata, a PDP candidate in the last House of Assembly election, had dragged Otobroku before Election Petition Tribunal challenging the election of the latter into the House of Assembly to represent Uvwie constituency.

The appellate court in its judgment on the appeal by Ighrakpata, whose petition had earlier been dismissed, said the petition be remitted for retrial on its merit.

Reacting to the judgment, Ighrakata, expressed confidence in the judiciary and hoped that justice would be done to his petition.

“Our election was inconclusive. I am not asking for a rerun, but if an election is inconclusive, let us go back and have a rerun election in places where elections were not conclusive or held,” he said.

Also reacting to the judgment, Chief Joseph Taro, Chairman of the PDP in Uvwie Local Government Area, said “it is not time for noise making but time to plan ahead and I pray God to shine his glory on us.”

Woman leader of the PDP in Ward 8, Lady Margret and a two-time councilor in the area, Mr. Henry Gbinife on their parts expressed confidence in the ability of the tribunal to do justice to the petition.