Hearing In Delta Gov’ship Election Petitions Begins Monday, As Omo-Agege Seeks Recount Of Votes
Kemisola Oye
THE Delta State Election Petition will on Monday 15th May 2023 begin pre-hearing in the governorship petitions and others filed by candidates and political parties challenging the declaration of Hon Sheriff Oborevwori of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the duly elected governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as other petitions.
Whilst there are several petitions challenging elections into the state House of Assembly elections as well as of the National Assembly seats, all eyes are on the petitions challenging the declaration of Hon. Oborevwori as the winner of the governorship exercise.
Some of the parties challenging the outcome of the election conducted on 18 March 2023 include the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Esther Esevohe and her party, the Action Alliance.
Also, in the fray is Mr Kenneth Gbagi who is suing Hon. Oborevwori along with the candidates of the APC, the Labour Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Great Ogboru over the outcome of the same governorship election.
Senator Omo-Agege in his petition alleges fraudulent counting, collation, recording of false results and declaration of the results across the 25 local government areas in the state and contends that he be declared the winner of the election through the lawful votes cast during the election.
At the heart of Senator Omo-Agege’s petition is the ascertainment of the valid votes cast and recorded for the candidates in the election. In a charge at the INEC, Senator Omo-Agege ‘s motion seeks safe custody of the ballot papers, production of same by INEC and a re-count by the Tribunal-appointed officers assisted by representatives of the parties.
This has sent shivers to the PDP and INEC. Eighteen-Eleven Media scooped that pressure is on INEC to produce the ballot papers, the basis upon which it declared Mr Sheriff Oborevwori governor-elect.
Political watchers are of the view that a ballot recount may expose the alleged rigging machinery of the PDP across the local government areas in the elections.
Will INEC fail to rely on the ballots its officials used to declare the winner of the election? Will the PDP be bold enough to have the ballots counted? Will the Tribunal buckle and not order a count of the ballot papers? These and many others are material questions that will be answered in Asaba in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court decision on the sanctity of BVAS in proving over-voting and to affirm the election of Governor Ademola Adeleke as Governor of Osun State is making waves across all Election Tribunals in the country.
Eighteen-Eleven Media
