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The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the election of governors Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and Darius Dickson Ishaku of Taraba State, a development that resulted in jubilation to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) camp.
Several litigations had trailed the March 2019 governorship elections across states of the federation, but the seven-man panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, affirmed their electoral victory.
READ ALSO: Election Tribunal affirms Gov. Okowa election
In its judgment, the Supreme Court held that the appellants failed to lead credible evidence to prove their petitions and that the governors were lawfully and validly elected.
The panel heard the appeals on the various governorship tussles one after the other in a sitting that began before 10am and for which judgement was fixed for 2pm.
In upholding Okowa’s election, Justice Centus Nweze, who delivered the lead judgement dismissed the appeal by Chief Great Ogboru of the APC.
Justice Nweze affirmed the concurrent judgement of the tribunal and Appeal Court that the voters register could not be set aside and that the smart card reader that the appellants relied on to prove over-voting could not take precedence over the voter register, because the smart card reader was a supplement to the voter register.
READ MORE: Onuesoke congratulates Okowa on Election Tribunal Victory, Says Ogboru Defeat Not Strange
