In a decisive ruling, the Supreme Court has upheld the election of Sheriff Oborevwori as the Governor of Delta State, dismissing all three appeals seeking to overturn his victory in the March 18 governorship election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had initially declared Oborevwori, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner of the election. Dissatisfied with the outcome, three parties pursued legal action, taking the matter to the tribunal and later to the appeal court, only to face a final verdict at the Supreme Court.
During the apex court proceedings, the judges affirmed the earlier judgments of the lower courts, confirming Oborevwori’s legitimate win in the Delta governorship race. The first appeal, filed by Ovie Omo-Agege, sought to overturn Governor Oborevwori’s election but was dismissed on grounds of failure to prove allegations of over-voting and noncompliance with electoral laws.
Other appeals were similarly rejected for lack of merit, and the court’s decision was unanimous. No costs were awarded in the judgment.
Oborevwori’s path to victory spanned nearly ten months, beginning with INEC’s declaration of him as the winner with 36,0234 votes. His victory surpassed the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who secured 24,0229 votes, with the Labour Party (LP) candidate Kennedy Pela trailing behind.
Having clinched victories in 21 out of the 25 local government areas of the state, Oborevwori faced legal challenges from opponents seeking to overturn the results. However, both the Delta State Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal upheld his victory, with the latter affirming the outcome in March.
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, Governor Oborevwori expressed gratitude on his official X account, acknowledging the judiciary, his legal team, supporters, and the people of Delta State. He emphasized that the legal battles were over, signaling a renewed focus on serving the people in alignment with his vision, the MORE agenda.
In a call for unity, Governor Oborevwori urged all Deltans to join hands to propel the state forward, attributing the triumph to the glory of God.
