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The Supreme Court of Nigeria in a unanimous judgement on Friday affirmed Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori as the duly elected Governor of Delta State.
The apex court dismissed the appeal brought by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Ovie- Omo-Agege, against the election of Governor Oborevwori.
The court in the lead judgement delivered by Justice John Okoro held that Omo-Agege, a former Deputy Senate President, failed woefully to establish that the election was invalid for alleged corrupt malpractices.
Okoro said that none of the allegations against the March 18, 2023, was established as required by law.
While Oborevwori scored 360,234 votes to win the governorship election, his closest rival, Omo-Agege of the APC, polled 240,229 votes.
The Supreme Court rejected the plea by Omo-Agege that the election be nullified on the allegations that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act.
Okoro also rejected the claim that the results of the governorship election were not properly recorded in some polling units and the allegations that the forms that contained some of the recorded results did not have serial numbers.
While affirming Oborevwori as the lawfully elected governor for Delta, the apex court affirmed the judgements of the Delta State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal which had earlier dismissed Omo-Agege’s petition for want of merit.
PDP congratulates Gov. Oborevwori on Supreme Court victory
Meanwhile, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has congratulated Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, on the Supreme Court judgement affirming his victory at the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the state.
The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba in Abuja on Friday, described the verdict of the Supreme Court as another resounding victory for democracy and the rule of law.
Ologunagba also described it as expressing the will of the people of Delta in the determination to sustain peace, good governance and development in their state under the banner of the PDP.
“Oborevwori’s overwhelming victory at the polls, as affirmed by the Tribunal, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court is a celebratory testament of the triumph of the will and aspiration of the people of Delta
“This is in resistance to anti-democratic forces that sought to forcefully take control of their state,” he said.
Ologunagba saluted the people of Delta for their support to the PDP and Oborevwori, who epitomised their collective will for purposeful, transparent, people-based and development-oriented leadership in the state.
“Our party is proud of Oborevwori’s capacity for leadership as evident in his achievements in the delivery of life-changing citizen empowerment programmes and projects in critical sectors.”
This according to him includes agriculture, education, healthcare, power, industrialization, oil and gas, housing, road infrastructure among others since his inauguration on May 29, 2023.
He congratulated the people of Delta for the victory and charged Oborevwori to remain steadfast in delivery of people-oriented programmes and projects in line with the policy thrust and manifesto of the PDP.