Sylvester Idowu in Warri
The 2023 Delta State Labour Party (LP) Governorship Candidate, Deacon Kennedy Pela , has challenged the judgment of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal given on September 29th 2023, describing it as another miscarriage of justice.
The Tribunal led by Hon. Justice Chibuzo H. Ahuchaogu had dismissed the petitions filed by the governorship candidates, Deacon Kennedy Pela of the Labour Party (LP), the All Progressively Congress (APC) Candidate Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate,Kenneth Gbagi challenging Sheriff Oborevweri of the PDP’s victory.
Reacting to the judgement, Pela, in a statement he personally signed and issued yesterday, vowed to seek redress at the court of appeal.
He maintained that the tribunal erred on virtually all grounds against the provisions of the Electoral Act 2023 and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“On Friday, 29th September 2023, as we listened carefully to the judgement of the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal chaired by the Hon. Justice Chibuzo H. Ahuchaogu, where they dismissed our petition challenging the return of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PTAD), Mr. Sheriff Oborevwori as the winner in the 18th March 2023 elections in the state.”On all grounds, we were reminded of another ruling given by this same tribunal on Monday, 26th June 2023 dismissing this same petition at pre-trial conference stage for “abandonment”.
“You will all recall that we were dissatisfied with the judgement of the 26th of June as we felt the Hon. Justices of the tribunal erred in law leading to a grave miscarriage of justice and this prompted our approaching the Court of Appeal of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to seek relief which was granted on the 31st of August 2023 when they ordered that the case be returned to the tribunal for hearing.”
Ovun “Surprisingly it was returned to a panel headed by the same Chairman who made the first erroneous ruling/judgement”.
“In the circumstances, we were not in the least surprised at this outcome, which we believe once again serves another miscarriage of justice as the Hon. Justice rred on virtually all grounds against the provisions of the Electoral Act 2023 and/or the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). Consequently, as we did before, we will be proceeding to the Court of Appeal to seek redress again”.
The statement continue; “In the meantime, you will also recall that after our victory at the Court of Appeal, Mr. Sheriff Oborevwori and his Deputy, approached the Supreme Court to appeal the judgement of the Court of Appeal, all in a further bid to stop the matter from proceeding at the tribunal, but they failed, when the Supreme Court struck out their appeal on Thursday, 28th September 2023.”
“So as things stand, the scores are currently two judgements at the tribunal in favour of Oborevwori/PDP and two judgements (one at the Court of Appeal and one at the Supreme Court) in favour of Pela/LP and we are confident that it will be game, set and match at 2:4 as we will again be victorious at the Appeal Court and subsequently at the Supreme Court.””Fellow Deltans, considering the journey before us against the background of the fact that we are currently struggling to free the state from 24 years of an ever-increasing stranglehold of waste and corruption of the twin scourges of the PDAPC, we are reminded of the words of Nelson Mandela that there “is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.” Let us continue to remain calm as we continue this journey to freedom”, it stated.
