By Austin Ogwuda
The Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the last governorship elections in Delta State, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi said that the main Appeal he lodged at Supreme Court of Nigeria challenging the election of Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP is still pending.
Gbagi who made this clarification through his Media team stated that contrary to what was was being reported especially in the Social media, it was an application to tender a Federal Government Gazette as fresh evidence to support his (Gbaji) case was dismissed and not the entire matter.
Gbagi’s Chief Press Secretary, Kenneth Orusi in a press statement made available to The Town Hall Media stated that “For the avoidance of doubt, what was dismissed, was an interlocutory appeal filed by Gbagi, FNIM, OON, against the ruling of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, the State capital.
“Dissatisfied with the tribunal’s ruling, Gbagi, a renowned Criminologist and a senior lawyer approached the Court of Appeal to upturn that decision of the tribunal.
“The same ruling was what the Supreme Court held Thursday and not an appeal challenging the dismissal of the governorship election petition held on Friday September 29th 2023, at the tribunal.
“In fact, the legal team to Olorogun Gbagi, on Thursday October 12th 2023, has filed the necessary appeal against the judgement delivered by the tribunal, read by Hon. Justice Hadiza L. Musa.
“It would be recalled”, the statement went on, “that on Saturday August 12th 2023, the lead counsel to Gbagi, Mr. Mato Magaji Ibrahim, SAN, informed the tribunal that he and his colleagues who appeared with him are here to adopt the final written address but filed a harmless application, seeking the indulgence of his lordships to move the application before the adoption of the final written address.
“The application was a motion on notice brought pursuant to section 36 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) paragraph 47 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2022 and under the inherent powers of the honourable tribunal.
“It is for an Order granting leave to the Petitioners/Applicants to make the application at post hearing session, an order granting leave to the Petitioners/Applicants to re-open their case for the purpose of tendering document(s) from the bar and any such Order(s) this court deem fit to make having regards to the circumstance of this case”, the statement added.