Delta PDP Hails Oborevwori’s S’Court Victory, Calls On Gbagi To Accept Judgment

The Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed its joy over the Supreme Court’s affirmation of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s victory in the March 18, 2023 Governorship election.

The party also urged Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), to accept the judgement gracefully for the betterment of the people of Delta State.

In a statement, the State Publicity Secretary of the Delta State PDP, Dr Ifeanyi Osuoza, extended the party’s congratulations to Governor Oborevwori and called on Gbagi to embrace the Supreme Court’s decision and resume his commendable role as a distinguished Delta statesman.

“We heartily congratulate our dear Governor and leader, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, on his latest legal victory at the Supreme Court, which dismissed the appeal filed by Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, challenging our hard-earned and well-deserved victory,” Osuoza said.

The Supreme Court ruling confirmed the victory of the PDP and Oborevwori in the recent Governorship election, which had earlier been confirmed by the Tribunal and the Appeal Court.

Gbagi’s attempts to introduce new evidence to the case were rejected by these courts for being “incompetent, belated, and strange.”

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“Gbagi who claimed to have discovered new evidence to prove his petition, had made an application for the reopening of his case on the date fixed for adoption of final written addresses by the Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Asaba, but the Tribunal dismissed the aforesaid application for being incompetent, belated, and strange, as the document he was trying to introduce was not pleaded in his petition”, he said.

“The Tribunal then concluded the hearing of the Petition and found that Gbagi’s claim of being the winner of the election was totally unfounded. The Tribunal also dismissed Gbagi’s claim that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori was not qualified to contest the election.

In a unanimous judgement, the Supreme Court endorsed the decisions of the lower courts, with Justice John Inyang Okoro describing Gbagi’s appeal as a “complete waste of time” and “lacking usefulness.” The Court also noted the expiration of the 180-day period for hearing the petition and the dissolution of the Tribunal.

In light of this final judgment, Osuoza called on Gbagi to “join hands with the Governor as the patriotic and distinguished Deltan he has always been, to do MORE for Deltans and work for the collective interest of our dear Delta State.”