C’River North: Supreme Court Rules On Ward, Exco Lists

By Frankie Ifop | Paradise News

As the battle for who becomes the authentic Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District continues, the Supreme Court judgment on January 6, 2020, has settled the ward and chapter exco lists issue.

The Apex Court presided by justices Abubakar and Mary Odili ruled out the appeal filed by the Cross River State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, challenging the authenticity of the ward and Chapter executive list of the Party.

Recall that during the September 5, 2020 PDP primaries for the Senatorial by-election, an illegal exco list was allegedly used to elect Dr. Stephen Odey as the party candidate.

But, Jarigbe Agom, now Senator challenged the matter in court and both the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and Appeal Court ruled and upheld the list (which made Jarigbe candidate) respectively as the authentic Exco list.

However, after the December 5, 2020 Senatorial By-election, Governor Ben Ayade’s faction, sponsoring Dr. Odey (as said by him on National TV, NTA) proceeded to the supreme Court to further challenge the matter.

In a unanimous judgement delivered by justices Abubakar and Mary Odili, the supreme Court struck out the matter brought before her by the Governor’s faction and PDP Cross River state chapter. The court also ordered both parties to bear their respective losses.

Note that the authentic list in contention was signed, endowed and authenticated by the national working Committee, NWC of the PDP but the Cross River State chapter of the party who are loyal to the state governor challenged the list against the National Assembly caucuses from the state who has stood their ground and believed in the authenticity of the list.

Today’s judgement has put to rest the lingering legal action on the matter.

The Supreme Court judgment was attended by some members of the State House of Assembly and Nationwide Assembly.

Recall that on December 8, 2020, Odey was presented with a Certificate of return by AVM. Ahmad Tijjani Mu’Azu (Rtd), Acting Chairman of INEC in Abuja.

However, on December 21, 2020, the certificate of return was later issued to Jarigbe Agom by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman in Abuja, after his was reappointed for the second time by president Muhammadu Buhari.

Senator Jarigbe Agom be be sworn-in this January as the Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing Cross River North Senatorial District, if no further action is taken.