The Delta State Election Petition Tribunal has rendered a significant decision by unseating Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, widely recognized as JOT. Senator Thomas was serving as the legislator for the Delta South Senatorial District within the National Assembly.
Furthermore, the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Tribunal, which convened in Asaba, Delta State, has issued a directive for a fresh election to be conducted in the Warri South Local Government Area of the state, specifically for the Delta South Senatorial District. This decision marks a pivotal development in the electoral landscape of the region.
The Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Michael Diden, aka Ejele had challenged the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Joel Onowakpo-Thomas (JOT) in the 2023 National Assembly elections.
Diden and his party, the PDP, in their petition marked EPT/DT/SEN/ 01/2023, asked the tribunal to void INEC’s declaration of candidate of the APC Joel-Onowakpo, alleging that he was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast at the polls.
A three-man panel headed by Justice Cathrine Ogunsola in her ruling declared that the election that brought in Joel-Onowakpo was inconclusive and therefore ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a supplementary election in the Warri South council area of Delta South senatorial district within 90 days.
