TVC E. The Supreme Court has today Tuesday dismissed appeals filed against the election of the Governors of Delta, Yobe and Oyo States respectively.
The seven man panel of the apex court led by Justice Walter Onnoghen dismissed the appeals filed by Mr Great Ogboru of the Labour Party and Emerhor Ortega of the All Progressives Congress, challenging the election of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.
The appeal against Okowa’s election was filed by Olorogun O’ tega Emerhor, and his Labour Party counterpart, Chief Great Ogboru.
The apex court justices under the presiding officer of Justice Mary Peter-Odili said, the appeals lacked merit, but deferred reasons for their decisions to February 15 2016.
“I have reviewed the records in this appeal and the briefs filed by the parties. I find no merit in the appeal and I hereby dismiss it.”
Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi who delivered the lead judgment in the case of Oyo, also said, “I have read all the processes filed in this appeal. I have also considered all the arguments by parties. I dismissed the appeal.”
The journey to the Supreme Court began at the various Tribunals where all three appeals were dismissed for lack of merit.
It proceeded to the appellate court which also agreed with the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Delta, Oyo and Yobe States respectively.
The defendants then brought their cases to the apex court which was a final court of decision and in what has become the usual in recent times, the parties in the suites adopted their briefs as their arguments.
After the hearing, the seven-man panel of justices led by Justice Onnoghene retired for 45 minutes to write their judgments and came back with decisions on the different appeals.
In less than 15 minutes, the panel delivered a unanimous judgment, dismissing all three appeals for lack of merit and abuse of court process.
