Delta Guber Election: Okowa, Ogboru Know Fate Today

Governor lfeanyi Okowa of Peoples Democratic Party (PDD) and Great Ogboru of All Progressive Congress (APC) would know their fate today.

THe Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba will today deliver its verdict in the petition challenging the reelection of Okowa.

The petition against the PDP and its candidate, Okowa, was marked EPT/DT/GOV/01/2019.

The chairman of the three-man tribunal, Justice Sulaiman Belgore, had earlier adjourned the matter for judgment after counsel to the respective parties had adopted their final written briefs.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okowa winner of that election but APC and Ogboru, dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, approached the tribunal to challenge the result.

The petitioners are alleging that the election was fraught with irregularities, over-voting and substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act and guidelines for the said election.

The APC and Ogboru, therefore, prayed the court to nullify the election and order INEC to conduct a fresh exercise, or in the alternative, declare him winner on the ground that he scored majority of lawful votes cast at the poll.

In their final written addresses, counsel to the first respondent (Okowa), D.D. Dodo, second respondent (PDP), A.T. Kehinde; and third respondent (INEC), John Olusola, urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition for lacking in merit, incompetent, adding that the petition suffered a shipwreck.

But petitioners’ counsel, Nichols Icheko, urged the tribunal to grant the prayers, insisting the allegations of rigging and over-voting were proved beyond reasonable doubt.