Delta guber: We’re party to Gbagi’s petition against Oborevwori –SDP

From Paul Osuyi, Asaba

National leadership of Social Democratic Party (SDP) has dissociated itself from a letter for the withdrawal of the party from the petition by its governorship candidate in Delta State, Kenneth Gbagi, challenging the declaration of Sheriff Oborevwori of People Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of March 18, election.

Oke Idawene, who until recently was state chairman of SDP, had through his counsel, E. S. Ogbomade, written to the Delta State governorship election petition tribunal, asking for withdrawal of the party from the petition filed by Gbagi.

In another letter to the tribunal, National Chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, and National Legal Adviser, Aderemi Abimbola, said Ogbomade was an unknown counsel to SDP, and could never act on behalf of the party at any level.

They alleged that the erstwhile state chairman, Idawene, was  seeking to jeopardise Gbagi’s ambition of coming to liberate Delta State with his application for withdrawal.

“The second petitioners, SDP, has not instructed any counsel to file any application for the discontinuance of the petition filed before your tribunal. That SDP reconfirms that we are party to the said petition before the tribunal and the governorship candidate, 1st petitioner, is the flag-bearer of the party for the 2023 election.

“The above stated petition was initiated by due process and signed on behalf of our party by the national legal adviser who is authorised by the National Working Committee (NWC) under our party constitution to initiate any action in court among others.

“Pertinent to state here that no state chapter of the party can initiate court action nor defend court action without prior approval of the NWC and national legal adviser in accordance with the provisions of our constitution.

“The above named counsel, Ogbomade, that filed the application for withdrawal is unknown to the party hence, he is an impostor. Equally, important to inform your lordships that the said counsel was earlier warned and advised against filing such application after being hinted of the move through our South South national vice chairman,” they said in the letter.

They added that the party would file a petition to the Nigerian Bar Association for disciplinary action against the said counsel.