By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Wednesday swore in Stephen Odey as Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
The oath of office was administered at exactly 11:45am by the Clerk of Senate, Dauda Ibrahim El-Ladan, immediately after the Senate rose from a closed session to commence plenary.
With Odey sworn in, the number of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senators now stands at 46, while the All Progressives Congress (APC), retains majority status with 63 members.
Recall Odey’s swearing in was put on hold on Tuesday following a court order by the Federal High Court stopping it.
In a suit NO: FCT/HC/BW/M/633/2020 and before Justice OA Musa of the High Court of FCT in Abuja Judicial Division, member representing Ogoja/Yala federal Constituency, Jarigbe Agom Jarighe, through his counsel Everestus U Chinedum, Esq, had prayed the court for an OLorder of interim injunction restraining INEC from issuing a certificate of return or swearing-in by way of admittance of the Dr Stephen Odey or any other person in his stead as the senator, representing the Cross River State North senatorial district, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion on notice.
The case is between Hon Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe and INEC, Clerk of NASS, the Senate President and Chief John Alagha.
INEC had on Sunday, December 6, declared Dr Stephen Odey as the winner of Saturday, December 5 by-election held at Ogoja for the northern senatorial zone, having polled 129,207 votes to defeat the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Joe Agi, SAN, who scored 19,165 votes to place second.
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