Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has been warned that what the All Progressives Congress (APC) suffered in Bayelsa State in 2020 whereby it lost the governorship seat of the state based on allegations of forged certificates by the party’s deputy governorship candidate will befall the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State if he(Okowa) insist on continuous blind support for the governorship aspiration of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Francis Sheriff Oborevwori, whose chances are blighted with allegations of forged certificates as was exposed in a joint petition by Tete Augustine of INEC ward 1, Obodo/Ubeji, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State; Kanabar Ovie Duke of INEC ward 1, Orogun, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State and Osigidi Amos of INEC ward 7, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.
The petition, which was forwarded to the office of Senator lyorchia Ayu, the PDP National Chairman, situated in Wadata Plaza, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, by PRISTINUS LP, the legal counsel of the trio read: “Our clients are concerned members of the Peoples Democratic Party, Delta State chapter. As aforesaid, it is on their instructions we lodge this complaint which centers on an issue they feel strongly about to your office as the National Chairman of the People Democratic Party.
“There is no doubt, the elections are here again of which all stakeholders are leaving no stone unturned in putting their houses in order to enable them win the elections at all levels. As you are well aware of, the Peoples Democratic is no less one of the major stakeholders in Nigeria politics and not just a no less stakeholder but the main opposition party at the national level.
“So far the party has not fared badly particularly in Delta State since the inception of the present democratic dispensation in 1999. It has always maintained the lead in all elections into political offices in the state. The secret behind this is not farfetched.
“It is that it keeps to the ideals and tradition of the party by always fielding the right and most qualified candidates in all the elections into offices in the state.
“Our Clients are aware that many persons have expressed their interest and desire to contest for various offices in the state including the office of the governor of the state under the Peoples Democratic Party platform/umbrella. Accordingly, they have submitted their expression of interest vide their nomination forms to the party. One of such persons Is Rt. Honorable Oborevwori Francis Orohwedor Sheriff the name he called himself in INEC form CF 001 he submitted to the party and to INEC in another occasion when he contested for a seat in the Delta State House of Assembly. Our Clients stumbled on the said form and other ancillary documents he attached to the said form, particularly those which purportedly represent his educational qualifications and on a careful examination and analysis of these documents found with dismay and alarm that Rt. Hon. Sheriff is not the same person who claimed to have acquired those certificates. This is because there are manifest inconsistencies in the names in the documents. The names transfigured and or metamorphosed from one form to another. For instance, in the Master Degree Certificate purportedly obtained from Delta State University, Abraka, the name on it is at variance with the one in the said INEC form 001. The certificate bears Oborevwori Francis Sheriff Orohwedor whereas in his 1st decree certificate obtained from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, the name Oborevwori Sheriff Francis is what is on it. Again this is at variance with the one in the said INEC form 001. Not only so, in his NYSC Certificate, the name is Oborevwori Sheriff F. and nothing more. It did not end there, in his West African Senior School Certificate, the name Oborevwori O. Francis is what is on it. And in his Primary School Leaving Certificate Oborevwori Francis is what he bears. For the benefit of doubt, the documents are attached herewith for your ease of reference, perusal and necessary action.
“Our Clients are compelled to instruct us to bring this to your attention. The rationale behind this is not farfetched: in the days of yore and more recently, political parties lost their elections in situations such as this. A recent case which is in all fours with this case is the case of David Lyon of Bayelsa State where his deputy governor elect, Biobarakuma Degi Eremieoyo presented certificates of different levels of his academic career with inconsistent names to the appropriate quarters which included INEC and the Peoples Democratic Party challenged his candidacy and election on this ground in court. The matter went to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court agreed with the Peoples Democratic Party and upturned the election of the All Progressives Congress that sponsored him and held that the said deputy governor elect was not qualified to contest the election on this ground. For the benefit of doubts, this is what happened: The name on his INEC Form CF 001 was Degi Eremienyo whereas the name on is Primary School Certificate was Degi Biobara. In his Secondary School Certificate, a different name Adegi Biobarakumo was shown and when he entered the University the name transformed to Deg! Biobarakuma. And lastly, in his MBA Certificate, the name again mutated to Deg! Biobarakuma Wangaha. As a result of these unstableness, the Supreme Court while upturning the election declared that none of the certificates has any bearing with Degi Eremienyo.”
Going further, the legal counsel stated: “Our Clients fears are not difficult to find. Itis that the same scenario such as the one above is what would without equivocation play out if the party nominates and sponsors Hon. Sheriff as her gubernatorial candidate in the upcoming election into the office of the governor of Delta State and as such, the party will be taking a very disastrous, catastrophic and predictable risk. As faithful and true party members who have party’s interest and success at heart they cannot stand hands akimbo and watch the party making the same error that plunged the All Progressives Congress into the misfortune it found itself in the last election in Bayelsa State hence this clarion call to you for your timely intervention. It is their concern and interest that if the People Democratic Party must maintain it leads in the upcoming elections into various political offices in Delta State particularly the office of the governor as it has hitherto done then the right and the most qualified person should be fielded. Such a person must certifies the basic requirements for the election and Rt. Hon. Sheriff has not meant the requirements.
“Our Clients are not candidates gunning for the office of the governor of the state but are persons who have party’s interest at heart. Their desire is that the party must not lose the election on technical ground but on merit if assuming without conceding it should lose.
“This information is brought to you to assist the party in exercising its discretion when nominating/presenting the candidate that would represent her in the gubernatorial election in Delta State.”
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