UPDATED: Delta PDP Guber Battle: A’Court Fixes August 19 To Hear Suit Seeking To Upturn Oborevwori’s Disqualification

Legal battle will resume at the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on August 19, 2022  as court fixed date to begin hearing on the suit filed by the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sherriff Oborevwori challenging his sack as governorship candidate of the Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

www.bigpenngr.com reports that the Federal High Court had on July 7, 2022 disqualified Oborevwori as governorship candidate of the PDP over discrepancies in the certificates and other documents filed for nomination as Gubernatorial candidate of the PDP.

The Court had ordered both the party and Independent National Electorial Commission (INEC) to recognise Olorogun David Edevbie as rightful and lawful candidate of the party for the forthcoming election.

But dissatisfied with the rulings of the court, Oborevwori approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision of the Federal High Court.

It was gathered that the Appellate court, on Monday, fixed August 19, 2022 for hearing in the appeal seeking to upturn the judgement of the Federal High Court.

The judges granted a request for the abridgement of time to enable expeditious trial.

www.bigpenngr.com reports that all the respondents have been asked to file their replies within eight days while the appellant is to respond within two days.

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Delta Governorship: No Stay of Execution against Edevbie’s candidature

…As PDP, INEC Continue to Flout Order

Meanwhile, it was learnt that notwithstanding the notice of appeal and processes being pursued against the July 7, 2022 judgement of Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Olorogun David Edevbie remains the authentic candidate of the Delta State Peoples Democratic Party for the 2023 Governorship elections.

Contrary to false claims from some quarters, neither the court of first instance nor the Court of Appeal has granted any Stay of Execution against the subsisting judgement of the Federal High Court declaring Edevbie as the lawful candidate emerging from the Delta PDP primary held on May 25.

The court held that Sheriff Oborevwori was not qualified in the first place to participate in the primary following a personal identity crisis arising from inconsistencies in his educational certificates and other documents filed by him for clearance.

After two sittings with August 19 fixed for hearing proper, the Court of Appeal has taken preliminary addresses including grant for substituted service and abridgement of time for parties to make responses.

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With none of the courts having entertained nor granted a stay of execution, legal experts say they are at a loss why the PDP and INEC have remained in disobedience of the FHC declaratory order for the PDP to forward Edevbie’s name to INEC or for INEC to act in accordance with the unambiguous and subsisting order.