The atmosphere in Delta State, is tense and expectant, as the Supreme Court has fixed Friday 19th January 2024 to deliver judgements in the governorship election in the State, an impeccable source privy to the matter said.
The court had reserved judgment after hearing the appeals on January 9.
Both Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Ovie Augustine Omo-Agege, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ken Pela of Labour Party (LP), are laying claim to the seat currently occupied by Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
They are asking the apex court to declare them as the authentic winner of the March 18 governorship election in the State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Oborevwori governor having won majority of the lawful votes cast in the election.
Dissatisfied, Gbagi, Omo-Agege and Pela, who came second, third and fourth respectively, had approached the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to challenge Oborevwori’s victory at the poll.
They had alleged irregularities, malpractices, non-compliance, as well as corrupt practices amongst others upon which they want the court to void Oborevwori’s election.
Besides, Gbagi argued that the governor was not qualified to be on the ballot for PDP, on grounds of alleged forgery.
But the tribunal and the Court of Appeal in their separate judgments held that the three different petitioners were unable to prove the allegations contained in the petitions and subsequently dismissed them for being incompetent and lacking in merit.
Still not satisfied, Gbagi, Omo-Agege and Pela appealed to the final court in the land to consider their case and rule in their favour.
Besides the issues of non-compliance and corrupt practices, which Gbagi argued while adopting his final written address, the appellant told the five-member panel of the Supreme Court to allow his appeal and sack Oborevwori over complicity surrounding his certificate attached in his Form EC9 submitted to INEC in aid of his qualification for the election.
