Embattled Nwaoboshi to remain in Senate, as Supreme Court rules against Ned Nwoko

The Supreme Court has dismissed two suits filed by Ned Nwoko, challenging the election of Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate representing Delta North district in the October 2, 2018, primary of the party held in Delta.

In dismissing the suit on Tuesday, the five-man panel of justices led by Justice Inyang Okoro, said it lacked jurisdiction.

On 10 May, 2019, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had withdrawn the certificate of return given to Peter Nwaoboshi, his opponent for the Delta North Senatorial District, and presented it to Nwoko.

The decision was however reversed by The Court of Appeal in Abuja.

The lead judge held that the case filed by Nwoko was not actionable as it had exceeded the time limit for legal consequences.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had on Thursday, April 3, 2019, declared Ned Nwokwo as the true candidate of the PDP for the February 23, 2019, National Assembly election.

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But that ruling was quashed by the appellate court which held that the Federal High Court had no jurisdiction over the case.

Nwoko proceeded to the Supreme Court to challenge the decision of the Appeal Court.

Nwaoboshi has been having a running legal battle, with the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, which has sealed off 14 suspicious assets and property said to belong to the senator in Warri, Asaba in Delta State; Lagos State and Abuja.

The move was sequel to the ruling of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which ordered an interim forfeiture of property belonging to Nwaoboshi.

Aside sealing off the properties, the Panel also wrote to several banks including Zenith International Bank Plc; United Bank of Africa; Sterling Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc to block Senator Nwaoboshi from operating multiple accounts maintained by him in these banks pursuant to the order of the interim forfeiture given by the court.

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