Double trouble for Edo lawmaker as Supreme Court sacks, orders him to refund salaries

It was double trouble for Sunday Aghedo, an All Progressive Congress (APC) member of the Edo State House of Assembly, as the Supreme Court on Friday sacked and ordered him to within 90 days pay back salaries and allowances he received as a lawmaker from May 2015, till date.

Before his dismissal, Aghedo represented Ovia South-West constituency. He will now be replaced by another APC member, Mr. Godwin Adenomo.

His ouster followed a unanimous judgment of a five-man panel of justices of the Supreme Court, who declared Adenomo the bonafide winner of the legislative election in Ovia South-West constituency held on April 11, 2015.

The judgment of the apex court was in tandem with an earlier ruling of the Court of Appeal in Benin which also held that Mr. Adenomo was the authentic winner of the primary election APC conducted for the constituency on December 2, 2014.

Justice Dantijo Mohammed of the Supreme Court who delivered the judgment on Friday, directed the Speaker of Edo State Assembly to immediately swear in Mr. Adenomo as member of the Assembly representing Ovia South West constituency.

The court also awarded N300, 000 cost against the appellant, Aghedo, for challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal Benin delivered by Justice Moore Asiemo Adumein.

READ ALSO: I won’t make the same mistake I did as a military ruler —Buhari

The two courts had in their ruling held that the pre-election matter arose from a primary election in which Mr. Adenomo scored the highest votes cast, having secured 152 votes as against 140 that was scored by the appellant.

But instead of submitting Adenomo’s name, the appellant’s name was forwarded as the party’s candidate for the election, with a three man appeal panel that was set up by the party to look into his complaint, upholding the decision of the party.

 

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now