••• Restrained from conducting fresh election for the community

By Ogba O.Ogba

UGHELLI – The Ughelli north council chairman has again be dragged to court for offenses bothering on unconscionable, incursion, undue Acts of gross violation and abuse of office conducts likely to cause breach of peace in respect of the conduct of Samagidi Agbarha-Otor community’s election.

In a worded letter from a legal firm, Sufficient Grace Solicitor signed by Oghenetega C. IKPEN, Esq. (Legal Practitioner) addressed to the Executive Chairman of Ughelli North Council, Hon. Jaro Egbo captioned “Re: CANCELLATION OF ILLEGAL SAMAGIDI AGBARHA- OTOR COMMUNITY ELECTION” it read in parts:

“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.

Meanwhile, our correspondent gathered from impeccable source that a writ of summon and restraining order has been served on the chairman to appear in the High Court of Justice Delta State of Nigeria in the Ughelli judicial Division holden at Ughelli, Delta State.