By Sunday Ani, Lagos
Mr David Edevbie, who scored the second highest votes in the governorship primary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, through his counsel, Eko Ejembi Eko, SAN & Associates, has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging the electoral body to comply with the court order that Mr Sheriff Oborevwori’s name should be replaced with his name, without further delay.
Mr Edevbie had gone to court to challenge the emergence of Mr Oborevwori as the candidate of the party after its primary, on the ground that Mr Oborevwhori supplied false information and submitted forged certificates to the electoral body in order to take part in the primary.
Ruling in a suit no: FHC/ABJ/CJ/795/2022 between David Edevbie vs Oborevwhori Sheriff Francis Orowedor and 2 ors, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on July 7, ruled that Oborevwhori was not qualified to participate in the process, not to talk of being declared the winner, having supplied false information and submitted forged credential/certificates. The Judge also ordered the INEC to replace Oborevwhori’s name with that of Edevbie who came second in the primary election.
However, following the INEC’s failure to comply with the orders of the court one week after the judgment, Edevbie, through his counsel, wrote to the electoral body on July 15, urging it to respect the order of the court and do the needful without further delay.
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Part of the letter to the INEC said: “Sir, as we highlighted in our letter dated July 15, 2022, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC or the Commission) is bound by the clear and unambiguous provisions of Section 287 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), to give full force and effect to the well-considered judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, by Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo (the presiding judge) delivered on July 7, 2022.
“Mr Chairman, the compliance with the judgment/enrolled orders of the Federal High Court is a mandatory constitutional and statutory obligation of the Commission. We, therefore, reiterate our client’s request that his name, David Edevbie, should be accepted as the lawful candidate of the PDP as directed in the Orders of the court. We have attached our client’s nomination form, affidavit in support of personal particulars, and other credentials as annexures A, B, and C to this letter for your ease of reference.
“INEC has been an exemplary office under your guidance and has discharged its statutory obligations fearlessly with absolute regard to the rule of law. As such, we trust that your good office would direct the relevant department of the Commission to comply with the judgment of the court without further delay.”