Delta guber: Pro-Oborevwori group goes spiritual ahead S’Court judgment

From Paul Osuyi, Asaba

Ahead of today’s judgment of the Supreme Court on the Delta State governorship election, a political support group, Delta State Political Assembly (DSPA), has called on its members across the state to observe two minutes of prayer for Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.

It also urged Deltans to join in praying for Oborevwori, candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP).

A statement by Eriques Warri said the prayer is to seek God’s intervention in the pending Supreme Court judgment.

“No doubt, our governor will come out victorious and stronger. However, we must commit the peace of our dear state into the hands of God Almighty through prayers,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, there seems to be a level of political tension in the state as parties in the suit are expectant.

The apex court had reserved judgment after hearing three separate appeals brought by Ovie Omo-Agege of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ken Pela of the Labour Party (LP), and Kenneth Gbagi of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The candidates of the three opposition political parties in the state, in their appeals, are seeking to void the declaration of Oborevwori as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

While Omo-Agege and Gbagi, in their separate appeals, are seeking to be returned as elected, claiming to have scored a majority of lawful votes cast, Pela is praying the apex court to nullify the election and order a fresh exercise.

Citing alleged corrupt practices, and irregularities, among other perceived infractions, Omo-Agege, Pela and Gbagi, had approached the governorship election petition tribunal seeking to overturn INEC’s declaration.

However, the tribunal which sat in Asaba, in a judgment on September 29, 2023, affirmed the election of Governor Oborevwori, and dismissed the three petitions for lack of merit and for being incompetent.

The tribunal judgment was upheld by the Court of Appeal, Lagos division, a development that necessitated the filing of the appeals at the Supreme Court by the dissatisfied candidates of the opposition parties.

In addition to other grounds of appeal he specifically filed, the SDP candidate and former Minister of State for Education, Gbagi, argued that the governor was not qualified to contest the election.