By Rainbow Newspaper

UGHELLI – Pandemonium in Delta State community, Samagidi Agbarha-otor following alleged blatant turn down of court orders and summon by Ughelli north council boss, Hon. Jaro Egbo

The crisis that is currently brewing in the peace-loving community of Samagidi has sent panic to the community as the residents are seen preparing to pack out of the community following threats to burn the community if the council boss refuses to honor the court order.

Our correspondent reliably gathered that trouble started when the news filtered into the community that the community had set up a parallel electoral committee to conduct a parallel election for the community.

It would be recalled that the community had its election on March 11, 2025, and winners emerged.

Speaking to newsmen at Agbarha-or, the newly elected chairman of the community, Prince Julius Oduesie, and his executive members accused the Ughelli north chairman, Olorogun Jaro Egbo, of melding into the affairs of the community of bringing his supposed candidates who lost out the election.

According to the newly sworn-in chairman of the community, Hon. Jaro Egbo, not satisfied with the failure of his candidates, he went to social media and television to announce the cancelation of the peaceful election results and vowed to conduct a fresh election for the community, he said.

Speaking further, Oduesie informed our correspondent that the new executive members of the community approached the High Court of Justice, Ughelli judicial division, to restrain the Ughelli North chairman from conducting a new election in the community. A prayer that was granted, and a summon notice and a restraining order were served on him.

He disclosed further that a law firm in Warri, Sufficient Grace Solicitor, has also called on him to restrain himself from community election as it is not part of his duties as a council chairman.

As of the time of going to press, the Olorogun Jaro Egbo has allegedly set up an electoral committee to conduct fresh elections for the community tomorrow, March 22, 2025.

While calling on the Delta State government, Commissioner of Police Delta State, Department of State Security Service (DSS), Area Commandant Ughelli police area command, Agbarha Improvement Union (AIU), and other security to call him to order, Pastor Simeon Oduesie asked Delta State government to Hon. Jaro Egbo accountable for any breakdown of laws and orders in the community.

He displayed the purported election materials prepared for tomorrow’s election as the names of the electoral chairman and secretary are captioned.

_________________________________________
An Extract from Sufficient Grace Solicitor letter to:
The Executive Chairman,
Ughelli North Local Government Council,
Ughelli North Local Government Council Secretariat,
Ughelli, Delta State.

Attention: Olorogun (Barr.) Jaro Movudu Egbo

Sir,

RE: CANCELLATION OF A PURPORTED ILLEGAL SAMAGIDI COMMUNITY AGBARHA-OTOR ELECTION

UNCONSCIONABLE INCURSION, UNDUE ACTS OF GROSS VIOLATION AND ABUSE OF OFFICE/CONDUCTS LIKELY TO CAUSE BREACH OF PEACE BY THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, UGHELLI NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL IN RESPCET OF THE CONDUCT OF SAMAGIDI COMMUNITY ELECTION

The above subject matter and your letter dated 17th March, 2025, with reference UNLG.822/T/68 refers.

We are solicitors to Oduesie Julius (Chairman Elect), Paul Ighosoyivwi (Vice Chairman Elect), Jonathan Akpere (Secretary Elect), Greg Afokairushe (Assistant Secretary Elect), Ezekiel Udoko (Treasurer Elect), Ogheneyerhoovwo Onokpikini (Financial Secretary Elect), Mamoke Onojaharho (Provost Elect), Henry Azugo (Organizing Secretary Elect), Ogheneruna Osadjere (PRO Elect), Cecilia Onovugakpor (Woman Leader Elect), Eturhobore Akpere (Woman Leader 2 Elect), Murhoko Onaibe (Ex Officio Elect); and Wesly Orido (Ex Officio Elect), the Executive Committee Elect of Samagidi Community, Agbarha-Otor (herein-after referred to as Our Clients) and on their firm instructions, we pen a befitting response to your letter dated 17th March, 2025, with reference number UNLG.822/T/68, authored by one Fidelis E. Erhiurhore with a purported designation as Principal Secretary.

We have been firmly instructed by Our Clients to respond to your letter dated 17th March, 2025, with the aforementioned subject-matter, wherein it was emphatically stated that in your capacity as the Local Government Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Area you declared an election validly conducted in Samagidi Community as null and void.

Please be informed that from both oral and documentary evidence made available to us by Our Clients, the following facts are apposite:

That our clients are indigenes of Samagidi Community, Agbarha-Otor in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State and were duly elected and returned to the office appearing immediately after their names as stated above, which said election was duly conducted pursuant to a VALID ORDER of a court of competent jurisdiction, made on 11/03/2025 in Suit No: MU/M/22/2025, between: Mr. Emmanuel Udoko v. Chief Joseph Umudjere & 23 Ors.

That based on the aforesaid order of court made on 11/03/2025, the general election in respect of Samagidi Community, Agbarha-Otor was duly conducted on 13/03/2025 wherein our clients emerged against your expectations, as the candidates you intended to emerge failed to secure the votes of indigenes of the Samagidi Community, Agbarha-Otor.

That the said order of court made on 11/03/2025 is the basis upon which the said election was conducted on 13/03/2025.

That assuming without conceding, that the outcome of the election is unfavourable to an aggrieved aspirant who participated in the said election that produced Our Clients, such grievances can only be ventilated in a court of competent jurisdiction and not subject or pursuant to your WHIMS AND CAPRICES, as you do not have the vires to purportedly annul same.

Please be further informed that by the functions of a Local Government Council as provided in the Fourth Schedule made pursuant to Section 7 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other extant laws regulating Local Government Councils in Nigeria, YOU as the Ughelli Local Government Council Chairman lacks the vires to interfere or meddle into elections conducted by various Communities within the locality, talk less of ANNULLING OR CANCELLING an already conducted election of the Samagidi Community, Agbarha-Otor.

It premised on the above, that we hereby state that your attempt in trying to interfere in the outcome of an election duly conducted pursuant to a valid and subsisting order of Court of competent jurisdiction, wherein members of the Executive committee of Samagidi Community duly emerged, is an affront on the integrity of the judicial arm of government which you ought to know as a senior member of the Bar, that is, if you truly authorized the aforesaid letter nullifying and/or cancelling a duly conducted election, because same did not meet your desired expectations.

At the risk of prolix, but for the purpose of emphasis, permit us to for the umpteenth time to draw their attention to the fact that your duties or function as the Executive Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Council, does not include meddling into the internal affairs of community elections, more so where there is a valid order of court.

It is also very GERMANE to inform you that Executive Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Council, do also do not have the power to set aside or vary an order of court or sit on appeal over a valid order of court.

Your aforesaid actions in purporting to nullify a community election can best be described as an abuse of office and a gross violation of the clear letters and spirit of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

Kindly be informed that the election in Samigidi Community in Agbarha-Otor, Ughelli North Local Government Area was VALIDLY conducted and winners have emerged and a new government is now in place, however, your cronies who failed at the election are at liberty to go to Court to challenge the victory of Our Clients, as that is the only sane thing to do.

Sir, you are not to determine those who are to be elected into leadership positions in the various communities in Ughelli North Local Government Area, as that should be solely left for members of the communities to so do.

TAKE NOTICE, that your conduct in attempting to interfere with a validly conducted election in Samidigi Community, Agbarha-Otor, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta is threatening the peace in Our Clients Community and we call on you to refrain forthwith.

Be properly guided.


Yours faithfully,
for: Sufficient Grace Solicitors,

__________________________
Oghenetega C. IKPEN, Esq.
(Legal Practitioner)

Cc:
HRM, the Ovie of Agbarha-Otor Kingdom.

The Area Commander, NPF Ughelli Area Command.

The Divisional Police Officer, Agbarha-Otor.

O/C, DSS, Ughelli

The Head of Operations, Operation Delta Sweep, Nigeria Army, Ughelli

The Manager, Heritage Energy Nigeria Ltd.

The Honourable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Delta State.

The Honourable Commissioner,
Women Affairs and Social Development, Asaba, Delta State.

The President General, Agbarha-Otor Kingdom.