Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya, was today declared winner of Sapele Constituency seat by the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City in neighbouring Edo State. The appellate court upheld the ruling of the Election Petition Tribunal, Asaba, which declared the Rt. Hon. Igbuya winner of the April 2015 House of Assembly election for Sapele Constituency.

An elated Igbuya labelled the victory as a triumph for the common man and for democracy. He also described his victory as significant for the development of the state, particularly Sapele Constituency.

In a statement in Asaba, Igbuya not only praised the judiciary for dismissing Felix Anirah’s case but said his election was a well-deserved mandate. He thanked the people of Sapele for the confidence reposed on him.

“My confidence in the nation’s judiciary is renewed. The court judgment went in my favour despite the speculation that the outcome will go in favour of my opponent whose party is at the centre,” the Speaker said.

He also described the April election as well as the most transparent ever seen in the history of Sapele, saying: “God saw me through the challenging times of the electioneering process, the litigations that followed and of course my emergence as first Urhobo Speaker in Delta State.”

Igbuya urged the people to support him to succeed especially as Speaker of the sixth Assembly of the Delta State House of Assembly.

“I am grateful to the people of Sapele Constituency for the mandate as demonstrated in their overwhelming votes to the PDP in the April election,” he said.

Igbuya while extending a hand of fellowship to his opponent and brother from Sapele, said now that the litigations are over, he should join him in the task of developing Sapele Constituency.

Igbuya said the victory would spur him to work harder to improve the welfare of the people of his constituency

He noted that he is inspired by the victory at the Appeal court, promising to continue to serve the House of Assembly which he is the Speaker with the fear of God.

“I am grateful to God for this victory. He has never failed me. This is not just my victory but that of Sapele, Delta State and the House of Assembly. My heart is filled with great joy,” the statement added.

•Photo shows Speaker Igbuya.

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