The Court of Appeal Abuja Division has affirmed the nomination of Sheriff Oborevwori as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming election in Delta State.
A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Olabisi Ige, overturned the judgement of an Abuja Federal High Court (FHC), which directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise David Edevbie as the duly elected candidate of the PDP for the governorship election.
During the PDP primary in May, Oborevwori, the Speaker of the Delta House of Assembly, polled 590 votes to beat Edevbie, the commissioner for finance during the James Ibori administration, who polled 113 votes. While Oborevwori is the preferred candidate of Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta governor, James Ibori, former governor, is said to be backing Edevbie.
Aggrieved by the outcome of the primary, Edevbie had filed a suit against Oborevwori and the party, citing discrepancies in Oborevwori’s certificates. Taiwo Taiwo, judge of a FHC in Abuja, had disqualified Oborevwori for submitting false information to INEC to back his nomination as PDP’s candidate.
Reacting to the favourable court ruling, Oborevwori said he has dedicated his victory at the Court of Appeal, Abuja on Monday August 29, 2022, to God and the good people of Delta State.
While reacting to the Court of Appeal Judgement in a Press Statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Dennis Otu, the Speaker who is also the National Deputy Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, said he has always had confidence in the Nigerian judicial system.
He said, “I have implicit confidence in our judicial system as it remains the last hope of the common man and I am so glad with the judgement of today. I commend the judiciary for this judgement. To God be the glory.”
