Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, the daughter of former Delta State Governor James Ibori, has retained her seat as the member representing Ethiope East/Ethiope West Federal Constituency of Delta State in the House of Representatives. This follows the judgment of the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos on November 7, 2023, which overturned the ruling of the lower court that nullified her election.
Ibori-Suenu, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had defeated Ben Rolands Igbakpa of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Halims Ahoda of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Ogboru Etabunor of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the February 2023 election. However, her victory was challenged by Igbakpa and Ahoda at the National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, which ruled in their favour and ordered a rerun election in the constituency.
Dissatisfied with the tribunal’s verdict, Ibori-Suenu appealed to the Court of Appeal, which delivered its judgment on Monday. The three-man panel of justices, comprising Festus Ogbuinaya, Jumia Samchi and Waziri, unanimously held that the appeal of the PDP candidate was meritorious and set aside the ruling of the lower court. The appellate court also dismissed the cross-appeals filed by Igbakpa and Ahoda for lacking in merit.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ibori-Suenu described the ruling of the Court of Appeal as a victory for God and her constituents. She thanked her supporters for their prayers and solidarity, and urged them to be law-abiding and magnanimous in victory. She also pledged to continue to serve the people of her constituency with diligence and integrity.
Ibori-Suenu is the daughter of a former governor of Delta State and National Leader of the PDP in the state, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, who served from 1999 to 2007. He was convicted of money laundering and corruption charges in the United Kingdom in 2012 and served four years in prison before returning to Nigeria in 2017. He remains a influential figure in the politics of Delta State and the Niger Delta region.