The Appeal court sitting in Benin-City, Edo State on Tuesday has upheld the ruling of the Election Petition Tribunal, Asaba, which declared the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya winner of the April 2015 House of Assembly election for Sapele Constituency.

The court also awarded cost of N100, 000 against the petitioners.

The court said the petitioners failed to prove substantial non-compliance to the electoral act.

Igbuya not only praised the judiciary for dismissing Felix Anirah's case but said his election was a well-deserved mandate.

He thanked the people of Sapele for the confidence reposed on him.

"My confidence in the nation's judiciary is renewed. The court judgment went in my favour despite the speculation that the outcome will go in favour of my opponent whose party is at the centre Igbuya also described the April election as the most transparent ever seen in the history of Sapele,

"God saw me through the challenging times of the electioneering process, the litigations that followed and of course my emergence as first Urhobo speaker in Delta State."

He urged the people to support him to succeed especially as Speaker of the sixth Assembly.

"I am grateful to the people of Sapele Constituency for the mandate as demonstrated in their overwhelming votes to the PDP in the April election. Igbuya, while extending a hand of fellowship to his opponent and brother from Sapele, said now that the litigations are over, he should join him in the task of developing Sapele Constituency."