…Dismisses Gbagi, Pela petitions
FRI, SEPT 29 2023-theGBJournal |The Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, has affirmed Sheriff Oborevwori as the duly elected Governor of the state.
Delivering judgement on Friday, the three member panel of the tribunal led by Justice C.H. Ahuchaogu dismissed the petition filed by candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege for want of merit.
The tribunal held that the petitioners failed to prove allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act and over voting beyond reasonable doubt.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the March 18 Governorship election with 360,234 votes.
Omo-Agege of the APC came second with 240,229 votes while Labour Party’s Ken Pela came a distant third with 48,047 votes.
The Tribunal also dismissed the petitions brought before it by Labour Party’s Ken Pela and Chief Kenneth Gbagi of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for their inability to prove their allegations of over voting amongst others.
Meanwhile, reacting to the Tribunal’s verdict, the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Governorship Candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege said, ”the outcome is not what we expected.”
”Let it be said with every sense of conviction and responsibility that in reaching its judgment, the Tribunal in Asaba, in our respectful view, failed to avert its mind to the intendment of the plethora of unambiguous innovations now contained in the Electoral Act, 2022. In relation to the instant petition, these are most particularly evident in sections 137 and 73(2) and paragraph 46(4) [First Schedule) of the Act mandating the Tribunal on how to properly handle the required evidence duly placed before it by the petitioners in proof of the petition and corroborated by INEC itself.
We hold the reasoned view that if the Tribunal dutifully attended to the unassailable evidence in support of ALL the polling unit results and every other relevant electoral document duly tendered before it using our present electoral jurisprudence and benchmarks already set by the Supreme Court as its compass, today’s outcome would have been clearly in our favour,” he said in a statement released shortly after the verdict was announced.
He said has instructed his erudite legal team to immediately appeal the judgement of the Tribunal while calling on ”our people to remain calm and law-abiding. We came into this race to rescue our beloved Delta State knowing that it will not be a smooth sail. So, keep hope alive. With God, we shall get to our destination under His abiding grace.”
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