Senator Stephen Odey has been sacked by the Court of Appeal in Calabar, Cross River State, and has declared Hon. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe as the duly elected senator for Cross River North.

The court declared Jarigbe the lawful candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the December 5, 2020, by-election for the seat on Friday.

A three-man appeal tribunal, headed by Justice Chioma I. Nwosu, also invalidated the certificate of return earlier issued to Steven Odey by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, directing the commission to withdraw the certificate.

The court ordered the INEC to issue Jarigbe a Certificate of Return and withdraw the one earlier issued to Odey.

Jarigbe, a member of the House of Representatives, had before expressed confidence that the Senate President would obey the law.