Delta State: Court Nullifies PDP Gov Candidate Election

By Ayodele Oni

The last may not have been heard about the governorship primary of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) in Delta state as contenders will have to return to the drawing board.

This followed an order by a federal high Court in Abuja on Thursday that the party should conduct fresh primary.

The court nullified the election of Sheriff Oborevwori, as the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Delta State for the 2023 general elections.

Oborevwori, who is currently the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, is Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s annoited candidate and was allegedly imposed on the PDP in the state.

Presiding judge, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo ruled that the plaintiff, David Edevbie proved beyond reasonable doubt that Oborevwori was unqualified by virtue of the discrepancies in his documents.

The court  nullified Oborevwori’s election as the PDP candidate on the basis of discrepancies in his  certificates issues and ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary before the final date of change of candidates.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has set July 17 as deadline for political parties in the country to return names of their candidates for next year’s election.

The Electoral Act does not permit the runner-up to automatically become the candidate.

Oborevwori emerged as the candidate of the PDP, after polling 590 out of 825 votes to beat former commissioner for finance, David Edevbie, who is the anointed candidate of former governor James Ibori with 113 votes to clinch the second position.