Court sacks deputy speaker of Delta House of Assembly

Delta State High Court in Kwale yesterday sacked the Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Friday Osanebi.

Osanebi, who represents Ndokwa East, has been in the assembly for almost three years.

The ruling followed the claim that the lawmaker falsified information regarding his place of origin.

Justice V. I Ofezi directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately withdraw the certificate of return it issued to Osanebi.

He ordered that the certificate be issued instead to Mr. Emeka Odegbe, the validly nominated candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general election.

Osanebi could not be reached for his reaction to the judgment, as he speedily drove out of the court complex located at Okpanam Road, Asaba.

It was however learnt that he had directed his lawyer to appeal the judgment.

The judgment came barely a week after a Supreme Court ruling reaffirmed the status of another lawmaker, Mr. Reuben Izeze, representing Ughelli South constituency.

But, the Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Agbanishi Obinne, disclosed that that there was no cause for alarm.

He said: “We urge our teeming supporters to remain calm, because the judgment has since been appealed.

“The deputy speaker is not distracted either, as he is still very focused, making frantic efforts for the empowerment and holistic transformation of the people.”