The court dismissed the petitions brought by Chief Great Ovedje Ogboru of Labour Party (LP) and Olorogun O’tega Emerhor of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the election of Okowa for lacking in merit.
The five-member panel of justices of the appellate court headed by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, while dismissing the appeals against the judgment of the tribunal, held that the appellants failed woefully to prove the allegation of malpractices, which they said, marred the election.
In a unanimous judgment, in two appeals filed by Ogboru and Ermehor, the court said they lacked merit and substance.
It was the position of the appellate court that the appellants failed at the lower tribunal to prove the allegations of corruption, malpractices and irregularities beyond reasonable doubt as required by law.
The appellate court held that although the appellants in their petitions alleged overvoting at the trial of their petition, they failed to produce the voter register to substantiate their claims.
Reacting, Okowa described the ruling as ‘a perfect Christmas gift for the people of the state.’
Okowa told newsmen shortly after an emergency thanksgiving service following the judgment delivered in Abuja that his opponents should join hands with him in moving the state forward.
“This is a perfect Christmas gift for Deltans. I believe that Deltans must be very excited because the truth is that they trooped out on April 11 to cast their votes and the courts have continued to uphold their wishes. By God’s grace, we will not let Delta State down,” he said.
An obviously excited Okowa during the thanksgiving service thanked the people of the state for their kindness and support through prayers and added, “I call on my brothers, Ogboru and Emerhor to embrace peace because our time will come and go but our children will continue to be there.
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