The Delta North Local Government Election Petition Tribunal, led by Justice A.O. Monyei, has approved an order of substituted service for Jude Chukwunweike, the declared winner of the recent Aniocha South local government election and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.
This decision comes after the Labour Party candidate, Prince Ferdinand Obaugo, filed a petition challenging the election’s outcome. The tribunal’s order allows the petition to be served at the PDP Secretariat after several unsuccessful attempts to deliver it to Chukwunweike at his office in the Aniocha South Local Government Secretariat, Ogwashi-Uku.
Counsel for the Labour Party candidate, Ifeanyi Nzeobi, Esq., argued for the substituted service, which was subsequently granted by the tribunal. The tribunal’s directive also ensures that all respondents, including the PDP and the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC), have been properly served.
Prince Ferdinand Obaugo is seeking to overturn the election results, alleging significant breaches of the Electoral Act, including widespread voter disenfranchisement across various DSIEC wards and polling units in Aniocha South. The case adds to the growing scrutiny of the local government’s electoral processes.
