Tribunal Grants Ogboru Permission To Serve PDP, Okowa Through Alternative Means

The Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba on Friday granted All Progressives Congress, APC and its governorship candidate in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru leave for substituted service on the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, its governorship candidate for the March 9, 2019 governorship election.

In a motion ex parte and the affidavit deposed, counsel to Ogboru had asked the court for leave to serve substituted service on PDP, Okowa, following claims of series of evasiveness by Governor Okowa to personally receive the petition.

The election petition suit marked, EPT/DT/GOV/01/2019, dated 25/3/19, filed by Chief Great Ogboru and APC on 31/3/19, has Governor Okowa as the 1st respondent while the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC are the 2nd and 3rd respondents respectively. 

Ogboru, amongst others are challenging the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Governor Okowa at the election tribunal holden in Asaba. 

Ogboru and others are asking Governor Okowa and PDP to answer the question how their votes as declared by INEC are more than the total accredited voters in the March 9 Governorship election in Delta State.

In the court order, chairman of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in the state, Hon. Justice Suleiman Belgore granted the request for substituted service of the petition at the tribunal proceedings on Friday, April 12, 2019.

Upon reading the motion ex parte and the affidavit deposed to the court by a close associate of the APC gubernatorial candidate and after hearing the submissions of TieTie .O Esq., counsel to the petitioners, Justice Suleiman Belgore ruled that, “It is hereby ordered that the 1st respondent, Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa be served the petition and other processes by substituted means to wit: service through the secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (P.D.P), Delta State Chapter, Asaba or through any officer in his office.”