The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has extolled the contributions of late Retired Justice Ephraim Akpata to Nigeria’s judicial system as well as his roles in development of the country’s democracy.
The governor who spoke to journalists after attending the 20th Remembrance Thanksgiving service in honour of late Justice Akpata, in Benin City, said the deceased Justice lived a life worthy of emulation.
According to him, “We have come to remember one great Nigerian whose contributions defined our judicial system and politics. Today, 20 years after his demise, we remember him for his life and thank God for his contributions.
“It is the foundation he laid at the beginning of this republic with the electoral commission that our democracy has rested on.”
Late Ephraim Akpata was a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the first Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (1999), responsible for conducting the 1998/1999 elections after Nigeria’s return to democratic rule.
