The Labour Party (LP) member of the House of Representative for the Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency of Delta State, Hon. Ngozi Okolie, has claimed that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election, Ndudi Elumelu, knew he did not win the poll but believed he could buy everything with money.
Okolie said this known while featuring on Arise Television on Friday.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Thursday, reversed the July 24 judgment by the National and State House of Assembly Election Tribunal in Asaba, declaring Elumelu as the winner of the last election for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State.
In two judgments, the Appeal Court declared Ngozi Okolie as the authentic winner of the February 25 election.
The court knocked the election petitions tribunal for voiding Okolie’s victory, and proceeded to dismiss the petition filed by Elumelu before the trial tribunal on which the voided judgment was given.
Speaking on the development, Okolie said Elumelu knew he did not win the election, but erroneously believed that money could buy everything.
The LP lawmaker claimed that Ndudi challenged his declaration because he depended so much on his wealth, unfortunately the judges failed him.
Okolie added that his victory was challenged at the election tribunal because Ndudi was only trying to fish and to see who could fish with him.
He said: “Everybody that understands law knows very well that the tribunal didn’t give justice in the judgment they gave, that’s why we decided to go on an appeal. And thankfully to God the appeal court saw it differently from the tribunal and restored the confidence most of us were losing in the judiciary.
“Everybody that hears the judgment given by the appeal court knows that something really went wrong in Asaba.
“The fact is that Ndudi is my friend; he knows very well that he didn’t win the election but he has this erroneous belief that money can buy everything.
“So, he depended so much on his wealth and unfortunately the judges proved that money can not buy everything.
“He knows he lost the election. He knows everything he brought to the tribunal – he was just trying to fish, to see who would fish with him. The lower tribunal fished with him but the wiser men said, “No, money can’t buy everything.”