Delta State government has debunked reports making the round in some daily newspapers that Court of Appeal, Abuja Division has overturned the election of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori following an appeal by Labour Party (LP), Ken Pelai, witnesslive.com can report.
Recall that the appellate court had in a ruling earlier in the day, granted the prayers of the appellants, Pela and LP, ordering that the petition be returned to the tribunal and be heard on its merit.
Damian Dodo, who was the lead counsel to the 2nd and 3rd respondents stated that Pela only applied for pre-hearing notice on May 19 before the close of pleadings; hence, the petition was premature, incompetent, and should be dismissed.
The tribunal had on July 6 this year dismissed Pela’s petition against the declaration of Oborevwori as the duly elected governor of the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the basis that the LP candidate, who came third, abandoned his petition.
This followed the argument of Damian Dodo, who was the lead counsel to the 2nd and 3rd respondents (Oborevwori and Onyeme, respectively), that the petitioner failed to avail himself of the seven-day window to apply for a pre-hearing notice and that the petitioner also failed to apply for another pre-hearing notice, thereby rendering his petition abandoned.
