It would have been a miscarriage of justice at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, as the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), allegedly rooted N400 billion through a party stalwart to sway judgement in favour of Sheriff Oborevwori, the party governorship candidate in the 2023 guber election in Delta State.
However the clandestine move, was nip in the bud by well meaning Deltans, who acted swiftly, as the 3-man panel of judges has reserved judgement for a later date.
It was gathered that PDP purportedly made frantic move to bribe the judges led by Justice Peter Ige, but the plan was aborted.
However, the Court on Friday, August 19, has reserved date for judgement in the appeal to upturn the judgement of the Federal High Court which disqualified Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori in the Gubernatorial primary of the Delta PDP and ordered his substitution with Olorogun David Edevbie as the lawful candidate of the party for the 2023 Governorship election.
The court which last sat on August 8 fixed hearing for August 19 and at the end of the hearing the judges announced that they will communicate a date for the delivery of judgement to the parties.
It will be recalled that following a suit by David Edevbie, the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Taiwo Taiwo declared Sheriff Oborevwori unqualified to have participated in the Delta State PDP Governorship primary due to inconsistencies in his name and age and not possessing the minimum qualification.
The particulars of the matter are that, arising from the PDP South South Zone Gubernatorial Screening in Port Harcourt, discrepancies were detected in Oborevwori’s names and age in his certificates
The contradictions include that while he is known as Sheriff Oborevwori, his First School Leaving Certificate dated 1981 for the examination said to have been written in 1977 bears the name of Oborevwori Francis; his West Africa Examination Council Certificate obtained in 1999 bears Oborevwori O. Francis with the age of the birth date of the writer stated as 1979.
In 2003, he proceeded to swear an affidavit to correct the age in the said certificate from 1979 to 1963 and gave his name as Oborevwori Orohwedor Francis.
Before then, in 1982, an affidavit deposed to on his behalf by one Benson Ogolo, said to be his cousin, gave his name as Oborguvori Francis.
His Bachelor’s degree certificate bears Oborevwori Sheriff Francis; his NYSC Exempt Certificate bears Oborevwori Sheriff while his Master’s degree certificate bears Oborevwori Francis Sheriff Orohwedor.
His claims as contained in INEC Form CF 001 with which he entered for general elections in 2018 are also inconsistent with his filings in his Expression of Interest Form for the Gubernatorial Election in 2022.
Whereas he did a Deed to correct the inconsistencies, Justice Taiwo Taiwo faulted the veracity of the Deed on the grounds that while it was dated July 7, 2011, the FIRS receipt was dated April 19, 2022 while the Gazette was signed personally by him and dated May 5, 2022.
For many Deltans, especially members of the PDP, the inconsistencies make it unsafe to proceed with him into the 2023 elections for fear that opposition parties might take advantage to sue the party and turn over their possible victory as it happened in the case of Degi Eremiayo by which the APC lost its governorship position to the PDP in Bayelsa State.
