The palpable tension in the Supreme Court is as big as a loaf of bread it can be sliced through; but one of the combatants at the highest court of the land, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has managed to consolidate his victory of March 18, 2023.
Those still anxious and under tension are Governors Muhammad Yahaya (Gombe), Nasarawa’s Abdulahi Sule, Ogun’s Adedapo Abiodun, Kebbi’s Nasir Idris,
The Supreme Court, on Friday, affirmed Oborevwori’s election.
A five-member panel of the apex court dismissed an appeal the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, filed against Sheriff’s victory on March 18, 2023.
In the lead judgement delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro, the court held that Senator Omo-Agege’s appeal lacked merit.
It held that the APC and its candidate did not prove that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act 2023.
It threw out Omo-Agege’s contention that some of the result sheets that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, relied upon to declare Oborevwori as the winner of the election, did not have serial numbers.
According to the court, even if the total number of INEC forms that the Appellants complained about are removed, it would still not affect the margin of lead that was in Oborevwori’s favour.
It held that the Appellants failed to discharge the burden of proof placed on them by the law to warrant the setting aside of both the Court of Appeal judgement and the verdict of the Delta State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
Oborevwori of the PDP was named winner after polling 360, 234 votes Omo-Agege of the APC got 240, 229 votes.
The apex court is expected to deliver judgments on two appeals relating to Ogun, marked SC/CV/1221/2023 by Oladipupo Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and SC/CV/1223/2023 filed by the incumbent governor, Adedapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Adebutu and the PDP are seeking to void Abiodun’s election.
Judgment is awaited on the appeal by Jibrin Barde, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking to void the election of Governor Muhammad Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In Nasarawa, a judgment on four appeals filed by the candidate of the PDP, Emmanuel David Ombugadu, is expected in this tension-soaked state.
In Kebbi three appeals filed by the PDP candidate, Aminu Bande; incumbent governor, Nasir Idris of the APC, and the third filed by the Deputy Governor, Abubakar Umar Argungu, are keeping state indigenes and the combatants on their toes.