Former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has responded to claims that Thursday's Supreme Court ruling on the Electoral Act ended his bid for the Delta Central senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections. His Special Adviser on Strategy and Communications, Godwin Anaighe, dismissed what he called a misreading of the court's decision.
Omo-Agege's Response to Supreme Court Ruling
As reported by Vanguard, Omo-Agege delivered the response in a statement issued on Saturday, September 26, 2026, in Asaba. He argued that the Supreme Court made no candidate-specific order against him and did not declare him ineligible to contest.
"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 said.
Omo-Agege, who is the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Delta Central, maintained that the court's decision restored sections of the Electoral Act but made no order against him specifically.
What the Supreme Court Actually Ruled
According to Omo-Agege, the court's decision restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which deal with party membership registers and candidate nomination procedures.
He said his name appeared in the NDC membership register that was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the May 10 deadline, and that he also featured on INEC's published final list of candidates.
On that basis, he described the jubilation from supporters of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Senator Ede Dafinone as misplaced, saying it amounted to political propaganda rather than an honest account of what the court decided.
Omo-Agege Challenges Dafinone to Campaign on His Record
Omo-Agege made clear he has no intention of stepping back from the Delta Central contest and called on his opponents to engage voters on substance rather than rely on court rulings they had mischaracterised.
"If Dafinone wants the Senate seat, he should come to the field with his record, his programme and his arguments for another term," he said.
He added that the people of Delta Central would deliver their verdict through the ballot box, and that premature political celebrations could not substitute for the actual electoral contest.
