Former deputy senate president and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State have disagreed on the judgement of the Court of Appeal that upheld the election of the governor.
While Omo-Agege described the judgement of the appeal he filed against the governor as a redemption deferred for Deltans, Governor Oborevwori said the former senator merely relied on hearsay and unscrupulous documents.
Omo-Agege said while he deeply respects the judges, he is convinced that the learned justices clearly misapprehended the reformed electoral jurisprudence that now prevails to deepen democracy in the country.
In a statement issued after the judgement and signed by his media adviser, Mr Sunny Areh, Omo-Agege said he firmly believes that justice was yet to be given to the people of Delta State who voted for him and the APC.
“We will proceed to the Supreme Court. The issues at stake touch on the future and wellbeing of the people who voted for a new Delta. We have a duty to respect them by defending their faith in us with every sense of diligence and responsibility. We don’t waver on what is right.
“I am confident that the revered Justices of the Supreme Court will examine the areas overlooked at the Appeal Court and give justice to our people,” he said.
Meanwhile, the executive assistant on Communication and Orientation to Delta State governor, Dr Latimore Oghenesivbe, has advised Omo-Agege, to publicly exhibit good conscience and political maturity by congratulating Governor Oborevwori.
He maintained that approaching the Supreme Court would amount to waste of time and scarce financial resources, adding that the sound judgment of the Appellate Court in Lagos does not require further legal scrutiny by way of appeal to the Supreme Court, pointing out that the Apex Court does not donate votes.
He averred that the Tribunal and Appeal Courts rulings clearly revealed that Senator Agege and his party, the APC, bypassed and/or deliberately disregarded genuine results captured in the BVAS machines, relied on hearsay that is not admissible and wrongly claimed that there were irregularities in some polling units without tendering valid evidence, and/or calling party agents and INEC officials to testify at the tribunal as required in law.
He went further to say that Senator Agege and his party were given ample opportunity and sufficient time at the tribunal to show cause why their petition and prayers must override the results as declared by INEC, but they merely relied on hearsay, unscrupulous documents and social media speculations that is not admissible in this case.
“It is crystal clear that Senator Agege and his party ought not to approach the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in the first place. But they did, and the outcome of their futile legal battles is staring them in the face,” Oghenesivbe stated.
