By Tosan Atie/Warri
Justice Folashade Olubanjo of the Federal High Court Asaba, has dismissed a suit by Deinbo-Denbofa Oweikpodor & 4 others on behalf of the people of Ijaws in Warri Federal Constituency against the Independent National Electoral Commission,(INEC) as Ist defendant and the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, (DSIEC) as 2nd defendant.
Deinbo-Denbofa Oweikpodor & 4 others had by their Originating Summons filed on the 6th day of June, 2024 by E.k Omare of Counsel, sued INEC and DSIEC as 1st and 2nd Defendants, prayed the court amongst other reliefs for: “A declaration that the 1st Defendant cannot release its register of voters of polling units in Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-Wes Local Government Areas of Delta State to the 2nd Defendant to conduct Local Government Council elections…”
“An Order of perpetual injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant from conducting Local Government Council elections in Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West Local Government Areas of Delta State …”
The Trustees of Ugbarajo Iwere Leaders Foundation, a non-governmental organization applied to join in the case as the 3rd defendant through their Counsel Chief Robinson Ariyo on behalf of itself and the people of Itsekiri ethnic extraction in Warri Federal Constituency; comprising of Warri North, Warri South and Warri South-West Local Government Areas of Delta State of Nigeria. Sequel to the final submissions being made, the court then reserved its judgment for the 6th day of July, 2024 and court agreed with the submissions of the Counsel for the 3rd Defendant, Chief Robinson Ariyo and held that,
“Having found that this suit is an abuse of Court process, first issue for determination is resolved against the Plaintiffs. There is no reason to continue considering the other grounds of objection or the merits of this; suit, because doing so may amount to a mere academic exercise and a waste of precious judicial time”
While speaking to the Pointer Correspondent in Warri on the outcome of the judgement, the counsel to the 3rd defendant,Chief Robinson Ariyo, expressed his gratitude to Ugbarajo Iwere Leaders Foundation for their vigilance.
He said, “Had they not been so, the Ijaws would have obtained another judgment without our knowledge. Most importantly, it was by the grace of God that we apprehended them this time, unlike the Supreme Court case they are referring to, which was conducted without our involvement”.
