The Supreme Court has unequivocally rejected the appeal lodged by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Ovie Omo-Agege, challenging the election victory of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, Justice John Inyang Okoro declared that the appeal lacked merit, emphasizing that Omo-Agege failed to meet the burden of proof required by law to establish the election’s invalidity due to alleged corrupt malpractices.
The court dismissed Omo-Agege’s plea to nullify the March 18, 2023, election, where Governor Oborevwori emerged victorious with 360,234 votes against Omo-Agege’s 240,229 votes. Justice Okoro rebuffed the claim that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court dismissed Omo-Agege’s assertion that the results were inaccurately recorded in some polling units and raised concerns about the serial numbers on the forms containing the recorded results.
Justice Okoro, in affirming Oborevwori as the lawful governor of Delta State, upheld the decisions of both the Delta State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal. These earlier rulings had dismissed Omo-Agege’s petition for lacking merit.
The Supreme Court’s judgment solidifies Sheriff Oborevwori’s position as the duly elected governor of Delta State, bringing an end to the legal challenges posed by the APC and Ovie Omo-Agege.
