The Deputy President of the Senate and Delta State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ovie Omo‑Agege, filed a petition at the election tribunal on Thursday challenging the declaration of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Sheriff Oborevwori as the winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was joined as a defendant in the suit. The Director of Media and Communication for the Delta APC Governorship Campaign Council, Ima Niboro, confirmed the filing, although the specific prayers of the APC candidate before the tribunal were not available at the time of this report.
In a separate petition filed in Asaba, Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate Kenneth Gbagi also asked the state election petitions tribunal to nullify Oborevwori’s victory. Gbagi argued that, at the time of the election, Oborevwori was not qualified to run for governor and did not meet the requirement of being elected by a majority of lawful votes. He named INEC, the PDP, the APC and its candidate Senator Omo‑Agege, as well as all other governorship candidates and their parties, as co‑defendants.
Gbagi further contended that, aside from Oborevwori, the other candidates were likewise unqualified to contest the election. He urged the tribunal to declare him the sole qualified candidate, to nullify the certificate of return issued to Oborevwori, and to order INEC to issue a fresh certificate of return in his favour. Alternatively, Gbagi prayed that the tribunal order a fresh election, citing irregularities and non‑compliance with the election guideline on the use of the bimodal voter accreditation system.
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