The governorship candidate of All Progressive Congress , APC in Delta state, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has challenged the victory of the People Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Sheriff Oborevwori who was declared winner in the last governorship election in the State.
In the petition filed by Omo-Agege, who also is the deputy senate president against the election of the Governor elect, he is praying the tribunal to cancel the victory of the PDP candidate, while declaring him as the winner of the governorship poll.
Already, the National Election Tribunals for the Gubernatorial and House of Assembly Elections has commenced sitting in Asaba, the state capital.
Prominent among the Petitions is the Petition of the candidate of the APC, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who is challenging the election of the Governor-Elect, Mr. Sheriff Oborevwori.
Other candidates in the last governorship election who have filed petition against the PDP Candidate are Esther Esevohe of the Action Alliance, AA and Mr. Kenneth Gbagi who is suing Oborevwori along with the candidates of the APC, the Labour Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Great Ogboru for the outcome of the same Governorship election.
In the petition, the APC candidate is praying the court to set aside the announcement of Oborevwori as the winner of the poll and declare him as the candidate who won through the lawful votes cast in the last poll.
Omo-Agege in his petition alleges fraudulent counting, collation, recording of false results and declaration of the results across the 25 Local Government areas of the State, while contending that he be declared the winner of the election through the lawful votes cast during the election.
Already the tribunal has fixed Monday 25th May, 2023 for the Pre-Hearing in the Governorship petitions. At the heart of the petition is the ascertainment of the valid votes cast and recorded for the candidates in the election.
In a petition against the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Senator Omo-Agege was praying the court for safe custody of the ballot papers and production of same by INEC and a re-count by the tribunal appointed officers assisted by representatives of the parties.
The development and move to recount the ballots papers according to political pundits, has sent shivers to the camp of PDP and INEC.
There is already pressure on INEC to produce the ballot papers, the basis upon which it declared Mr. Sheriff Oborevwori, the Governor-elect. Political watchers suspect that a ballot recount will expose the rigging machinery of the PDP across the Local Governments in the elections.
The questions in the lips of Deltans are whether the INEC will fail to rely on the ballots its officials used to declare the Winner of the Election and whether the ruling party in the state, the PDP will be bold enough to have the ballots counted.
Will the Tribunal buckle and not want the Supreme Court decision on the relevance of BVAS in proving over-voting and affirming the election of Governor Ademola Adeleke as Governor of Osun state applicable in the state.
