Supreme Court Verdict: Okowa calls for unity to build Delta
Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has called on Deltans to be
more united, following the re-affirmation of his victory at the polls by the
Supreme Court.
The
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highest court in the country on
Wednesday declared Okowa as the duly elected governor of the state.
Okowa
made the call on Wednesday evening at a thanksgiving service held at the
Government House Chaplaincy, Asaba, to celebrate the Supreme Court verdict.
“I want
to thank Deltans for all your prayers and support and as we move forward, it is
time to work for the good of the state.
”I
cannot do it alone; as a government, we require the cooperation of all; it is
time for us to partner together; it is time to forget the bitterness.
“I will
use this opportunity to call on my opponent, Chief Great Ogboru of All
Progressives Congress (APC) for him to realise that it is time for him to work
together with the state government to build our state.
”I
believe that truly everyone can make his contributions and impact whether he is
in office or not as it is truly time for us to be united.”
Okowa
said that working together would be in the best interest of the state, adding that
sustained continue are needed for God’s strength to move the state forward.
“God
took us through the elections, through the tribunal, Appeal Court and now the
Supreme Court and in each of the victories, we have always returned thanks to
God because He alone has made it possible.
”We
trusted in God and he has seen us through and today we have victory.
“This
victory is dedicated to God because God willed it to be, to settle the state
and to ensure that there is peace to bring oneness among us because without
peace and without oneness we cannot move forward as a people.”
On 2023
elections, the governor said: “I know that 2023 is not so far but it is also
not too near so, there is a time for everything.
”When
the time to play politics comes, we will play politics. For those of us in
government, I want to plead that the best thing for us to do now is to work.
”There
will be room to play the politics and by His grace when the time comes,
everything will work out smoothly; no one can make a governor; only God can
decide who becomes governor.
”So for
now we have to work together to achieve a stronger Delta as we need to spend
the next few years working for the people of Delta State.”
The
Chaplain of Government House Chaplaincy, Ven. Charles Osemenem, in his sermon,
said that God works in miraculous ways.
He
added that “many a time when you see results, you forget that there was a
battle over which God gave you victory; we thank God because this victory is a
sign of what he will do in Delta state”.
The
Supreme Court had earlier reaffirmed the March 9, 2019, election victory of
Okowa.
In a
unanimous judgment delivered by Justice Centus Nweze, the court held that the
appellant, Mr Great Ogboru of APC failed to prove his allegations of
over-voting at the polls.
The
judgment which was concurred to by six other justices of the court, held that
the appeal lacked merit and that the court was putting a final nail on the
appealant’s forensic Golgotha.
Nweze
said that the appeal was a waste of the precious time of the apex court.
He
noted that majority of the documents tendered by the appellants were based on
hearsay, adding that the petition is a sheer waste of the genuine time of the
court.
“There
are plethora of decisions of this court on the position of card readers and
they are too numerous to begin to mention them or for the appellant to claim
they are not in the know.
“The
appeal was against the valid election of Okowa and it is hereby dismissed for
lack of merit,” he declared.
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