Governor Sherrif Oborevwori, in a Thanksgiving gathering held in Asaba on Friday, July 7, expressed his unwavering confidence in his electoral triumph, despite the relentless efforts of his opponent.
News About Nigeria reports that the gathering was organized hastily to commemorate the recent decision of the Supreme Court, which dismissed an appeal questioning the governor’s eligibility for the March 18 governorship election.
The appeal had been filed by Mr. Ikie Aghwarianovwe, a fellow aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking the same position.
Initially, the Federal High Court in Asaba had already dismissed the suit, ruling that it amounted to an abuse of the judicial process.
Nevertheless, Aghwarianovwe pursued the matter further, taking it to the Appeal Court where he faced defeat before ultimately reaching the Supreme Court, where his fate was sealed on Friday.
In a unanimous verdict delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim on behalf of the apex court, the appeal was deemed meritless and was subsequently dismissed.
The court also ordered Chief Ikie to pay N3 million each to the PDP and Oborevwori as costs incurred during the legal proceedings.
Just a day prior to the Supreme Court’s decision, the governorship election petition tribunal in Asaba had also struck out a petition lodged by Ken Pela, the candidate representing the Labour Party, who contested Oborevwori’s victory.
Acknowledging these legal triumphs during the Thanksgiving gathering, Oborevwori confidently stated that “victory is permanent and cannot be undermined by any individual.”
Reflecting on the arduous journey of litigation, Oborevwori described it as a challenging path but expressed his firm belief that the victory he achieved would endure indefinitely.
