ANXIETY GRIPS DELTA PDP, AS GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION TRIBUNAL RESERVES JUDGEMENT

  

The last four months have been a ding-gong legal tussle until the closing arguments last Thursday. Leading up to this point, both parties involved had presented their legal arguments supported by evidence.

Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege's evidence was formidable. His votes were backed by solid proof—BVAS records, Voter Registers, and Forms EC8A—all authenticated by both experts and INEC. The PDP also possessed BVAS data, although their evidence mostly consisted of manually filled result sheets, voter registers, and Forms EC8A. These documents from the PDP were also confirmed by INEC.

The PDP had also submitted handwritten outcome records from Delta South, notably the Patani elections. However, a significant issue arose: the number of votes recorded in Delta South exceeded the accredited voter count. A similar trend emerged in several LGAs supposedly won by the PDP, presenting a substantial case of over-voting.

The PDP seemed less concerned about the over-voting problem, contending that even with the exclusion of these votes, they still had a considerable number of valid votes. This argument aimed to bring them close to Omo-Agege's tally and potentially trigger a rerun election, alongside other influencing factors.

Barrister Iziyon, Omo-Agege's attorney, delivered a decisive blow during the final statement that shattered the PDP's argument. The pivotal moment unfolded as follows: Throughout the proceedings, the PDP had submitted BVAS results, numerous handwritten result sheets, and INEC voters' register Form EC8A. However, during the closing statements, Omo-Agege's lawyer pointed out a critical detail: many of the INEC forms presented by the PDP lacked serial numbers. This omission raised doubts about the authenticity of the PDP's INEC documents. A subsequent examination confirmed the absence of serial numbers, a crucial feature that should be present on valid INEC documents.

Legally, this revelation invalidated a substantial portion of the PDP's handwritten votes, accounting for nearly 40% of their total. This unforeseen development left the PDP's legal team furious and disoriented, particularly because it surfaced during the final stage of the proceedings—the closing arguments. With little room to counter such a compelling "evidentiary" argument at this late juncture, the case concluded, leaving the judges to deliberate based on concrete evidence or, potentially, personal conviction.

The irrefutable evidence surrounding the "No Serial Numbers" issue remained unchanged and immutable. Even if the tribunal judges chose to overlook it, the Court of Appeal would be obligated to address this matter. Indeed, the timely emergence of the "No Serial Numbers" discrepancy caught the PDP off guard, preventing them from rectifying or replacing the problematic forms, had this issue been raised earlier in the proceedings.

Since Thursday, the leaders of the PDP have been frantically seeking covert strategies to address their legal challenges. According to a credible source, there has been an increase in traffic and a significant surge in activity around Okowa's residence in Liberty Estate, Asaba. Allegedly, a sequence of meetings is taking place, focusing on the possibility of offering substantial monetary incentives to tribunal judges in order to secure a favourable ruling.

Ultimately, it appears that divine providence played a role in this turn of events. The case now rests in the hands of the judges, where justice should prevail.

Should the judges of the Delta State governorship election tribunal align with the hopes of Deltans, it is anticipated that Obarisi Ovie Omo-Agege mandate will be reinstated.