•Orders refund of salaries, allowances
By Emma Arubi / Snr. Correspondent, Warri
THE Supreme Court last Friday sacked a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator, Edoja Akpodiete, representing Ughelli North Constituency II in the Delta State House of Assembly and ordered him to within 90 days refund all the salaries and allowances he received since he assumed the position in 2011.
In a lead judgment read by Justice Walter Onnoghen, the apex court ordered Mr. Jenkins Gwede of the Democratic People Party (DPP) to take over the seat from Akpodiete Akpodiete, saying that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wrongfully issued the certificate of return to Akpodiete when it was aware that Akpodiete had ceased to be the sponsored candidate of the DPP more than 45 days before the House of Assembly election was held on April 26, 2011.
The Supreme Court justice held that INEC by its action “foisted on the electorate of Ughelli North Constituency 11 a pretender to the seat who not only withdrew from the election in writing but collected the deposit of N2 million he paid to the DPP for nomination form”.
He, therefore, ordered INEC to issue Gwede with a certificate of return in respect of the said House of Assembly election held on April 26, 2011.
“The 2nd respondent, Edoja Rufus Akpodiete is hereby ordered to vacate the seat of Ughelli North Constituency 11in the Delta State House of Assembly forthwith. It is further ordered that the 2nd respondent refunds to the coffers of the Assembly all monies/sums of money he collected by way of salary, allowances whatsoever and however described since he took his seat in the House under pretext of being the candidate of the 4th respondent representing Ughelli North Constituency 11 within 90 days of this order”.
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