Ikie, a Delta State PDP governorship aspirant had in October, 2022 dragged the then Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Oborevwori and the PDP to court, alleging that the now governor submitted false documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to aid his qualification for 2019 House of Assembly election in Delta State.
The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal brought before it by a Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), governorship aspirant, Ikie Aghwarianovwe, seeking the disqualification of the Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.
Ikie, a Delta State PDP governorship aspirant had in October, 2022 dragged the then Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Oborevwori and the PDP to court, alleging that the now governor submitted false documents to the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to aid his qualification for 2019 House of Assembly election in Delta State.
In the suit which was initially assigned to Honourable Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, but subsequently transferred to Asaba, Delta state, Ikie also claimed that as a result of the alleged forged documents, Oborevwori was not qualified to contest the 2023 governorship election.
While denying the allegation of forgery, Oborevwori and PDP raised objection that the suit was statute barred, pointing out that documents submitted to INEC in 2018 towards the 2019 general elections, could not be a ground for disqualification of a candidate in 2023.
The trial court however upheld the defendants’ objection, saying that Ikie failed woefully to substantiate the allegations of forgery.
Coming down on Ikie for alleging falsification of documents without calling the institutions that issued the certificates to Oborevwori, the court held that Ikie’s case was moribund and could not be revived under any guise.
But dissatisfied with the court's judgement, Ikie went to the Court of Appeal to appeal the judgment, but the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja in a unanimous judgment, delivered by Justice Peter Olabisi Ige, upheld judgment of the trial court and resolved all the issues for determination in favour of Oborevwori while Ikie, again headed to the supreme court.
Meanwhile delivering its judgement on Friday, in the lingering legal battle, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal brought before it by Ikie.
in a unanimous judgement, delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the court held that the appellant failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt stressing that "The mere fact that there were differentials in names does not amount to falsity. An error in date of birth in a certificate not shown evidentially to emanate from the respondent cannot amount to falsity".
In dismissing the appeal for what it called 'lacking in merit', the court therefore ordered Ikie to pay sum of N3 million each as cost to PDP and the state governor, Oborevwori.