In a recent development, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has issued an order directing the Delta State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Asaba to take a fresh look at the petition lodged by Mr. Ken Pela, who had contested as the governorship candidate for the Labour Party. Pela’s petition challenges the election of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
This directive was given during a morning ruling on Thursday, stemming from an interlocutory appeal filed by Mr. Pela. The appeal was in response to the dismissal of his initial petition by the tribunal.
The Tribunal’s decision to dismiss Mr. Pela’s petition, rendered in July, cited reasons of incompetence and a perceived violation of paragraph 18 subsection 1 of the 4th Schedule to the Electoral Act of 2022.
In his petition numbered EPT/DL/GOV/01/23, Ken Pela contests the outcome of the 2023 governorship election in Delta State. He seeks the tribunal’s endorsement to invalidate the declaration of Oborevwori as the Governor of Delta State.
Named as respondents in the petition are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the 1st respondent, Governor Oborevwori as the 2nd respondent, and his Deputy, Monday Onyeme, as the 3rd respondent. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is the 4th respondent in the case.
Expressing his dissatisfaction with the tribunal’s initial ruling, Ken Pela proceeded to the Court of Appeal. Among his requests, he sought an order compelling the Tribunal to review his grievances.
“The essence of Ken Pela’s recent case that was dismissed by the tribunal is what the Appeal Court has instructed the Tribunal to reexamine,” an insider familiar with the matter informed SK Blog.
It’s worth noting that the proceedings at the Court of Appeal on Thursday were of an interlocutory nature. This indicates that the case will now return to the Tribunal panel in Delta State, where further proceedings will continue, elucidated the aforementioned source.
