The Delta State governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), in the 2023 general elections, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, on Wednesday, insisted that he won the election clean and clear, and vowed to retrieve his alleged stolen mandate from the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Sheriff Oborevwori. Also, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Kenneth Gbagi and others insisted that they won the election as well and vowed to retrieve their mandate from Sheriff Oborevwori of the PDP.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in the election conducted on March 18 declared Oborevwori as the winner with 360,234 votes, which was over 120,000 votes above 240,229 votes reportedly scored by Omo-Agege. But Omo-Agege, while granting audience to some of his constituents from Delta Central Senatorial District at the National Assembly in Abuja, said the result declared by INEC was a ruse that cannot stand the test of litigation.
“I won the Delta governorship election conducted in March this year by INEC clean and clear. I am determined to fight it all because the real valid votes scored by me in the election are more than enough to declare me as the governor-elect.
“All the manipulations carried out by PDP in collaboration with some staff of the INEC have been exposed and will be used as exhibits in the court of law,” he said.
On the visitation made to him by his constituents from Ndokwa over the facilitation of Federal University of Medical and Health Science in Kwale community, Omo-Agege said President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, should be thanked for the feat.
Senator Omo-Agege added that he made the facilitation without any consultation or collaboration with anybody in Delta State.
He said, “I didn’t do it in consultation with anybody. I did it all by myself. If anybody should be thanked for the university, it should be President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu.”
He, however, admonished the Hon Mercy Almona-Isei-led delegation from Ndokwa/Ukwuani that compensation should not be attached to the 100 hectares of land donated for the university, saying, “The issue of ownership of shrine or farm should not be raised from any quarters.
On April 8, 2023, the former Deputy President of the Senate filed a petition at the election tribunal challenging the declaration of the People’s Democratic Party candidate, Sheriff Oborevwori as the winner of the poll. The Independent National Electoral Commission was joined in the suit filed.
Although the Director of Media and Communication of the Delta APC governorship campaign council, Ima Niboro, confirmed the report, details of the prayers of the APC governorship candidate before the election tribunal could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.
Also, the governorship candidate of the SDP, Mr Kenneth Gbagi, asked the state election petition tribunals to nullify the declaration of Oborevwori as the winner of the governorship poll.
In the petition filed in Asaba, Gbagi contended that at the time of the election, Oborevwori was not qualified to run for the office of the governor of the state and also did not meet the requirements to be elected and returned by the majority of lawful votes.
Joined in the suit as co-defendants are INEC, PDP, APC and its governorship candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and all other governorship candidates in the state and their parties.
According to the petition, Gbagi said aside from Oborevwori, other candidates were also not qualified to contest in the election.
He, therefore, urged the tribunal to declare him as the only qualified candidate for the election, nullify the certificate of return issued by INEC to Oborevwori and order INEC to issue a fresh certificate of return to him (Kenneth Gbagi)
In the alternative, he also prayed the tribunal to order a fresh election due to irregularities and non-compliance to the election guideline on the use of the bimodal voter accreditation system.
June 20, 2023
The Sheriff PVC Crusaders urged the candidates of the APC and his SDP, counterpart, Mr Kenneth Gbagi, in the 2023 governorship poll in Delta State to withdraw their court cases against Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
The group said it was visible from the outset that Oborevwori would emerge victorious due to his popularity, adding that he would facilitate good and impartial governance in Delta.
Speaking with newsmen in Warri, Convener of the group, Edah Bismarck, said Oborevwori merited his victory due to his campaign strategies, noting that unlike his fellow contestants, he went to the nooks and crannies of the state to solicit votes.
Bismarck said: “Omo-Agege did not campaign vigorously like Oborevwori who went across the length and breadth of the state to solicit for support and vote from eligible voters. For the first time in my life I saw a gubernatorial candidate and the children going about to campaign unlike those who want to claim victory through the back door. Oborevwori has come to stay and he will rule for eight years, so I advise all those not satisfied with Oborevwori’s victory and the reality of losing the election to wait for another eight years.”
Also speaking, Yomi Emma, who advised Deltans to support the Oborevwori’s administration, said; “All Deltans have confidence in Oborevwori, who will deliver the dividend of democracy of the state.
Ekama Marvellous is a student of the Department of English and Literary Studies, Delta State University, Abraka
