AN Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City, Friday, sacked Victor Emuankhagbon as the elected chairman of Esan South- East local government area and declared Peter Aguele as the authentic winner and candidate of the party.
Aguele had petitioned against the election of Emuankhagbon claiming that he won the primary election conducted by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and that he should have been fielded as the candidate of the party during the January 24, 2018, local government council election in Edo State.
In his judgment, the presiding judge, Daniel Okungbowa, held that “the petitioner is the rightful candidate of the party for the election, having emerged through direct primary.
“Therefore the respondent should stop parading himself as the chairman of the council, and he should refund all the monies so far paid to him while in office as chairman of the council in the last two years to the treasury of the council.”
Okungbowa also ordered that the petitioner should be paid all the monies and entitlements due to him since 2018 as the rightful candidate and the elected chairman of the council.
Reacting to the judgment, Peter Aguele, the now declared chairman of the council commended the judiciary for being the last hope of the common man.
Aguele dedicated the victory to the people of Esan South-East local government and members of APC in the state and the local government.
In his reactions, Charity Aiguobarueghian, Esq, counsel to the ousted chairman, said his client would challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
VANGUARD
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