Delta House Speaker Resigns As Deputy Takes Over



PHOTO: R-L: HON. MARTIN OKONTA AND DEPUTY SPEAKER, HON. BASIL GANAGANA AT A FUNCTION LAST YEAR.

ASABA, DELTA, May 18 (THEWILL) - Legislators in the Delta State House of Assembly were shocked this morning when the Speaker of the House, Mr. Martins Okonta suddenly announced his resignation as the speaker during the House session.

Mr. Okonta said his decision to resign with immediate effect was informed by the legal fireworks his election would face at the Supreme Court coupled with his pursuit of a Doctorate Degree in Law.

His Deputy, Mr. Basil Ganagana, representing Burutu Constituency has taken charge of the House until another Speaker is chosen from the Delta North Zone according to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Delta State power sharing terms of 2007.

Okonta in his remark urged Ganagana and the other legislators to "keep the team spirit alive" and explained further saying "Let me take advantage of this opportunity to inform you about the recent Court of Appeal judgment involving me. For the records, let me say that the case is appealable and accordingly I have taken the matter to the Supreme Court."



It would be recalled that Mr. Okonta was sacked precisely on Wednesday, May 12, 2010, by the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal. The court ruled that Mr. Okonta was not the duly sponsored candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2007 State House of Assembly elections. 



Chairman of the panel, Justice Uwani Abba-Aji who led Justices Jimi Olukayode Bada and Abdu Aboke in his judgment ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue the cross appellant, Mr. Kingsley Philip Nonye, the certificate of return, with immediate effect adding that the matter had dragged for long. 



Mr. Kingsley Nonye Philip had dragged the embattled Speaker representing Ika South constituency to court challenging his candidature in the 2007 state House of Assembly election.

The judgment read by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, noted that the election was in contravention of section 34 of the Electoral Act, 2006. 

In the unanimous judgment, the court advised INEC to always play a neutral role as an arbiter in political elections in line with the law establishing it. 



Earlier at the trial court, the consequential order sought by the Kingsley Philip Nonye who was the complainant was turned down. The court, however, agreed that he was the duly sponsored candidate of the party and not the Speaker, Okonta. Though Philip won the case at the lower court, he was not satisfied as he proceeded to cross appeal before the appellate court when his opponent filed an appeal challenging the decision of the court. 



In the appellate court, he got what he missed at the lower court when the appeal court made some pointblank orders including the fact that the Clerk of the Delta State House of Assembly should swear Philip into the Assembly as the winner of the said poll in 2007. Besides, the court entered a judgment cost of N100 million in favour of Philip against the appellant. 



Meanwhile, after the Appeal Court ruling, Mr. Okonta through his Counsel, Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) swiftly approached the Supreme Court with a Notice of Appeal with identification mark SC/CA/A/147/07 and Appeal Number CA/A/174/M/201 requesting it to upturn the verdict of the Appeal Court which ruled against him.