Fear gripped members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to the factional gubernatorial candidate of the party in Delta State, Olorogun David Edevbie, as their preferred candidate was absent from a meeting summoned by the National Working Committee of the party.
Edevbie was absent at a closed-door meeting called by the national working committee of PDP Wednesday with governorship candidates of the party for the 2023 general election.
Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly factional gubernatorial candidate of the party, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori was present at the meeting.
Edevbie is in court contesting the governorship ticket with Oborevwpori, faulting the credential presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by Oborevwori.
While the faction loyal to Edevbie regrouped and wondered why their principal was not at the meeting where Oborevwori introduced himself as the gubernatorial candidate, the faction loyal to the speaker maintained that their leader has been recognised by the party at the national level.
The Edevbie faction however maintained that “the absence of our master is tactical and to further have enough proof to use against the Speaker. You should know he is an impersonator. Let us wait for the judgement day and truly know who is the candidate,” a party leader said.
Recall that the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division on August 19 reserved judgment on the appeal filed by Oborevwori and the PDP.
On July 7, 2022, the Federal High Court Abuja faulted the certificates and other documents filed by Oborevwori for nomination as the governorship candidate of the PDP. In his judgment, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Abuja High Court disqualified Oborevwori as the governorship candidate of PDP in Delta state.
Subsequently, Justice Taiwo ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP to recognise Olorogun Edevbie as the candidate of the PDP for the 2023 governorship election in the State.
The trial Judge had agreed with the plaintiff in the suit that Oborevwori ought not to be on the ballot for the PDP governorship primary election on account of supplying false and forged documents to the INEC in aid of his qualification for the governorship election.
But not satisfied with the judgement of Justice Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Oborevwori and the PDP headed to the Court of Appeal to seek redress. On August 8, 2022, the Appeal Court fixed August 19, 2022, as the date for a proper hearing of the appeal case.
At the resumed hearing at the Appeal Court, presided over by Justice Peter Ige, leading the three-member panel of the appellate court, in his ruling, reserved judgment on the appeal filed by Oborevwori after all counsels adopted their arguments.
Justice Ige disclosed that the date for judgement would be communicated to all parties involved in the case later. Being a pre-election matter, the 180 days stipulated by the constitution for adjudication of pre-election matters as it relates to Delta state will elapse on September 5.
All the governorship candidates of the PDP, except Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who is out of Nigeria, attended the crucial meeting of the party held at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
