Court of Appeal reserves judgment in Delta PDP governorship candidate’s suit

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday reserved judgment in a suit filed by Sheriff Oborevwori, the PDP governorship candidate in Delta State, challenging the judgment of a high court disqualifying him from the 2023 elections.

Oborevwori, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, had won the PDP governorship primary in May with 590 votes, defeating David Edevbie, a former Commissioner for Finance, who had 113 votes.

Edevbie had filed a suit alleging discrepancies in Oborevwori’s certificates. He also contended that the PDP violated its constitution in the process of the state congress, which produced Oborevwori.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/795/2022, Edevbie demanded the court to restrain the PDP from forwarding Oborevwori’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He also prayed the court to restrain INEC from receiving or recognising Oborevwori as duly nominated as the party’s flag bearer.

He further sought a restraining order barring Oborevwori from parading himself as the governorship candidate of the party for the forthcoming election.

Delivering judgment on the suit on July 7, the presiding Judge of a Federal High Court, Abuja, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, held that the suit was meritorious and accordingly granted the reliefs of the plaintiff against Oborevwori.

Dissatisfied, Oborevwori and the PDP filed two separate appeals CA/ABJ/CV/778/22 and CA/ABJ/CV/779/22, praying the court to void the judgment of the trial court.

At the court session on Friday, parties in the suit adopted their brief of arguments and a three-member panel of the appellate court led by Justice Peter Ige, reserved judgment, saying that a date for judgment will be communicated to all parties.