Former Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, has clarified that Thursday's Supreme Court judgment on the Electoral Act does not disqualify him from contesting the 2027 Delta Central Senatorial election. In a statement issued on Saturday in Asaba by his Special Adviser on Strategy and Communications, Mr Godwin Anaighe, Omo-Agege said the judgment neither made any order against him nor declared him ineligible to participate in the 2027 election.
According to Omo-Agege, the Supreme Court ruling only restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which deal with party membership registers and the nomination of candidates. He emphasized that his name was included in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) membership register submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before May 10 and also featured on the commission's published final list of candidates.
Omo-Agege dismissed celebrations by supporters of Sen. Ede Dafinone, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, who had been congratulating their candidate over the judgment. He described claims that the judgment had removed him from the race as political propaganda, rather than an accurate interpretation of the court's decision.
The NDC candidate emphasized that the distinction is straightforward: the Court ruled on the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act; it did not issue a candidate-specific ruling against Omo-Agege. He remains focused on the 2027 senatorial contest in Delta Central and urged his opponents to base their campaigns on their records and programmes.
Omo-Agege said if Dafinone wants the Senate seat, he should come to the field with his record, his programme and his arguments for another term. He added that the people of Delta Central would decide their preferred candidate when the time came, stressing that political celebrations could not take the place of the electoral contest.
The Supreme Court judgment has been a subject of interest among politicians and supporters in Delta State, with many eager to see how it would affect the 2027 senatorial contest. Omo-Agege's clarification has put to rest speculation about his eligibility to contest the election.
With the 2027 election approaching, Omo-Agege and other candidates will need to intensify their campaigns to win the support of voters in Delta Central. The election is expected to be competitive, with several candidates vying for the senatorial seat.
Key points
- Omo-Agege says Supreme Court judgment doesn't bar him from contesting 2027 election.
- Judgment only restored sections of Electoral Act 2026 dealing with party membership registers and candidate nomination.
- Omo-Agege urges opponents to base campaigns on records and programmes.
