In Delta State, 25 candidates, who participated in the polls, including governorship candidates of the APC, Social Democratic Party (SDP) and LP, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Chief Kenneth Gbagi and Ken Pela respectively, petitioned the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in the state, querying the conduct and outcome of the election.
The tribunal has already granted leave to Gbagi and Pela leave to inspect the electoral materials that INEC used in the conduct of the election.
The Young Progressive Party, YPP, governorship candidate, Europe-based Comrade Sunny Ofehe, however, chose not to approach the tribunal, insisting that he would deploy international instruments to challenge the “hoax”.
Omo-Agege, in his petition, said INEC breached the Electoral Act 2022 in the collation of the results of the governorship poll across Delta.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the correctness of the results that INEC declared in Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North East, Ika South, Oshimili North, Oshimili South, Ukwuani, Ndokwa East and Ndokwa West local government areas in Delta North.
In Delta South, Omo-Agege frowned at the results from Bomadi (only Wards 07, 08, and 09, that is, Akugbene1, Akugbene 2, and Akugbene 3), Burutu, Patani, Warri North, Warri South West, Warri South, and Isoko North local government areas.
In Delta Central, he disputed the results from Ethiope East, Okpe Ughelli South (only Wards 04, 05, 07, and 08), and Sapele (only Wards 02, 03, 05, 08, and 10).
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives and PDP House of Representatives candidate for Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency, Hon Ndudu Elumelu; Hon Evelyn Oboro, PDP House of Representatives candidate for Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency; Hon Solomon Ahwinawhi, PDP House Representatives candidate in Ughelli/Udu Federal Constituency, have gone to the tribunal too.
At the senatorial level, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi of the APC, Delta North has petitioned INEC over the declaration of Hon Ned Nwoko as the winner of the election; Senator Ighoyota Amori, PDP, Delta Central, has also kicked against INEC’s announcement of Chief Ede Dafinone of APC as the winner.
Chief Michael Diden, PDP, Delta South, and his All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, counterpart, Hon George Timinimi, who lost to APC’s Hon Thomas Joel –Onowakpor, have also gone to the tribunal to upturn his victory.
At the House of Assembly level, all those who lost have dragged their opponents to the tribunal to challenge the results.
There are three panels set up in Delta State: the National Assembly Petitions Tribunal, Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, and State House of Assembly Petition Tribunal to adjudicate over the rocky petitions.
Vanguard