Sacked Delta PDP Gov candidate Oborevwori appeals judgment

Delta Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori, has appealed Thursday’s judgment by a Federal High Court in Abuja voiding his nomination as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.

Oborevwori, in a nine-ground notice of appeal, filed on Friday, wants the appellate court to set aside the judgment given by Justice Taiwo Taiwo in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/795/2022 by David Edevbie.

He has also filed a motion on notice before the Federal High Court in Abuja for stay of execution of the judgment pending the determination of his appeal.

He is contending among others, that Justice Taiwo misdirected himself in law when he assumed jurisdiction to entertain the claim of the plaintiff, predicated on Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022 before submission of his name (the appellant’s) to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Oborevwori faulted the trial judge for allegedly ignoring the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Modibbo Vs  Usman (2020) 3 NWLR (PT. 1712) 470, in which he claimed the apex court held that Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022 which is the same with Section 31(5) of the Electoral Act, 2010 has settled the law that cause of action only arises when the name of a candidate is submitted and published by INEC.

He added: “The trial Judge side tracked the decision of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal contrary to the established doctrine of stare decisis and by his decision overruling the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

“The first respondent (Edevbie) on oath admitted that the name of the appellant was yet to be submitted and the trial court held that the first respondent by law need not wait for the publication of the name of the appellant by INEC,” he said.

Oborevwori argued that it is the law that information about a candidate’s qualification could only be challenged after the political party sponsoring the candidate submits the name and INEC publishes the name and the accompanying affidavit.

He further contended that the trial judge misdirected himself in law when be agreed with Edevbie that he (appellant) failed to meet the constitutional requirement of sections 177(a) and 182(1) J of the 1999 Constitution and that his certificates were forged.

Oborevwori is of the view that the constitutional requirement of Sections 177(a) and 182(1)(J) of the 1999 Constitution could only occur upon presentation of forged certificate to INEC and no other body or person, which has not occurred in his case.

He added that, “The reliance on the documents of the appellant presented in the year 2018 to INEC for the election to the House of Assembly of Delta State or submission of documents to the PDP on April 30, 2022 as held by the court makes mockery of the law as any of those acts took place way after 14 days of the filing of the suit contrary to Section 285(14) of the 1999 Constitution, and is statute barred.”

He also faulted the trial judge for holding that he did not challenge the averment that his certificate is forged and that he is deemed to have admitted same.

“The burden of proving declaratory reliefs is on the plaintiff and not on the weakness of the case of the defendant. Even where the defendant admits, the burden still lies on the plaintiff to prove same,” he said.

The appellant argued that the trial judge erred in law and occasioned grave miscarriage of justice on him when he held that Edevbie has proved his case and therefore entitled to judgment.

He added that Edevbie, who alleged that he made false deposition and presented forged documents in order to participate the PDP governorship primaries, ought to have been required to prove such criminal allegation beyond reasonable doubt.  (The Nation)