The Court of Appeal in Lagos Division has dismissed the petitions of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and two others challenging the March 18, 2023, governorship victory of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
Recall that the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, led by Justice C.H. Ahuchaogu had on Friday, September 29, 2023, upheld Oborevwori’s election by dismissing the petitions filed against him by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, and the Labour Party Governorship candidate, Kennedy Pela.
The tribunal amongst others held that the petitioners failed to prove the noncompliance with the electoral act alleged by them in 1333 polling units and failed to prove or demonstrate that the inflation of votes in Ibusa Ward 8 or other polling units substantially affected the final result of the election considering the margin of winning votes.
Not satisfied by the tribunal Omo-Agege, Gbagi and Pele approached the Court of Appeal on the matter.
The three-member panel of the Appellate Court presided over by Justice Hamma Barka had on Monday, November 13, 2023, reserved judgment in three separate appeals filed challenging the election of Sheriff Oborevwori as the governor of Delta State.
Ruling on the matter today Friday, the Appeal Court affirmed the verdict of the tribunal which upheld Oborevwori as the lawful winner of the March 18 governorship election in Delta.
The court dismissed the appeal of Ovie Omo-Agege and others against Oborevwori for lacking in merit.
Oborevwori won 21 out of the 25 Local Government Areas in the state with 360,234 votes while his main challenger, Omo-Agege of the APC won 4 by polling 240,229 votes.