The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday disqualified Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori as Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for 2023.
In an Abuja judgement, Justice Taiwo Taiwo agreed with the plaintiff that oborevwori should not be on the ballot for the PDP’s governorship election in 2023 because he allegedly provided false and forged documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in order to qualify for the election.
The judge then ordered INEC and the PDP to recognise the plaintiff as the PDP’s candidate for governor of Delta State in 2023.
Oborevwori, the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, was elected as a PDP candidate in the party’s primary election for governor on May 25, 2022.
However, Olorogun David Edevbie, a former Commissioner of Finance under former Governor James Ibori who finished second in the primary, contested Oborevwori’s participation in the primary due to alleged discrepancies in his academic qualifications and age.
He specifically requested that the court prohibit the PDP from submitting Oborevwori’s name as the party’s flagbearer.
Oborevwori, PDP, and INEC are the first, second, and third respondents in the FHC/ABJ/CS/795/2022 suit.
In his certificates submitted to INEC, the PDP candidate used the names Oborevwori Sheriff Francis Orohwedor and Oborevwori Sheriff Francis Orohwedor interchangeably.
The plaintiff seeks a declaration that “the Oborevwori is not qualified to participate in and/or be declared the winner of the PDP Delta State Governorship Primary elections held on May 25, 2022 for the purpose of electing its candidate or flagbearer in the forthcoming 2023 Gubernatorial Elections in Delta State, scheduled to hold on March 11, 2023 by the 3rd defendant.”
“A declaration that, having supplied false information and submitted dubious or forged credentials/certificates in order to participate in and be declared the winner of the 2nd Defendant’s Delta State Governorship Primary elections held on May 25, 2022, the 2nd Defendant herein is legally barred from submitting, forwarding, or otherwise transmitting the name of the 1st Defendant to the 3rd Defendant as the 2nd Defendant’s candidate or
“A declaration that the Plaintiff, who, after the ineligible and unqualified 1st Defendant, received the greatest number of valid votes cast at the Delta State Governorship Primary elections of the 2nd Defendant held on May 25, 2022, ought to and should be returned and declared the winner of the 2nd Defendant’s Governorship Primaries and, accordingly, returned as the 1st Defendant’s candidate for the upcoming Governorship elections in Delta State scheduled for May 25, 20
“A declaration by the 3rd Defendant that the 1st Defendant should and ought to be prohibited, inhibited, prevented, or otherwise restrained from holding out, parading, and or advertising himself as the candidate of the 2nd Defendant for the forthcoming Gubernatorial elections in Delta State scheduled to take place on March 11, 2023.”
“A declaration that the 3rd Defendant is legally barred or prohibited from accepting or receiving from, acting on, or otherwise recognising or giving effect to the name of the 1st Defendant as the 2nd Defendant’s candidate or flagbearer for the forthcoming Gubernatorial elections in Delta State now scheduled for March 11, 2023.”
“An order of this Honourable Court disqualifying the 1st Defendant from running as the 2nd Defendant’s candidate in the upcoming 2023 Gubernatorial elections in Delta state, scheduled for March 11th, 2023 by the 3rd Defendant.”
“An order of this Honourable Court commanding, directing, or otherwise mandating the 2nd and 3rd Defendants to immediately replace the 1st Defendant’s name with that of the Plaintiff as the lawful candidate of the 2nd Defendant for the forthcoming Gubernatorial elections in Delta State, now scheduled for 11th March, 2023 by the 3rd Defendant.”
Justice Taiwo granted all of the plaintiff’s reliefs except relief four, which sought the prohibition, inhibition, prevention, or otherwise restraining Oborevwori from holding out, parading, or advertising himself as the PDP’s candidate for the upcoming Delta State gubernatorial elections scheduled for March 11, 2023 by the 3rd Defendant.
