Chief Great Ogboru, the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the March 9, election in Delta State has closed his case at the election petition tribunal sitting in Asaba.
His petition is challenging the return of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner of the 2019 election.
In a bid to prove his case, Ogboru and the APC called 20 witnesses to prove allegations of electoral fraud contained in the petition marked EPT/DT/GOV/01/2019.
The petitioners tendered volumes of documentary evidence, including voters’ registers and results from polling units (forms EC8A to EC8E) before Justice Suleiman Belgore-led three-man panel.
The petitioners alleged that the conduct of the March 9, governorship election did not comply with the provisions of the law, insisting that Ogboru scored the highest number of valid votes cast.
They prayed the tribunal to declare the first petitioner (Ogboru) winner, as well as an order directing the third respondent (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return issued to the first respondent (Okowa), and issue him (first petitioner) a fresh Certificate of Return.
Meanwhile, the tribunal has adjourned to July 23 for the first respondent (Governor Okowa) to open his defense.
This followed an application by the first respondent’s counsel for extension of time to enable him study the case of the petitioners.
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