Delta Councillorship Candidate Dies Weeks Before LG Election

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for councillorship has passed away, barely two weeks before the local government council elections in Delta State.

In the impending local government election on July 13, identified as Hon. Jumi Odaji, he was running for reelection to represent Bowen Ward 20 (Agbassa & Alders Town) in the Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

He died on Thursday night, and as of the time this news was filed, the cause of his death was not revealed.

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In the meantime, a few well-known Deltans have filed a lawsuit in the Federal High Court in Asaba, asking the court to prevent the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) from holding local elections in select council areas on July 13.

Denbo-Denbofa Oweikpodor, Emmanuel Igetei, Arc Sylvester Adowei, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, and Midwest Kukuru Esq. are among those who argue that Warri South, Warri South-West, and Warri North Local Government Areas shouldn’t hold the poll.

“The 2nd Defendant (DSIEC) cannot conduct council elections in the three councils of Delta State, without the 1st Defendant (INEC) establishing fresh polling units in compliance with the judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Appeal No. S/413/2016: HON. GEORGE U. TIMINIMI & 9 ORS v. INEC delivered on 2/12/2022,” the plaintiffs demanded in their lawsuit, filed under the file number FHC/ASB/CS/87/2024, on behalf of both themselves and “the Ijaw people of the three LGAs of Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State.”