By Emma Amaize, Austin Ogwuda & Bulou Kosin

Asaba – DEMOCRATIC Peoples Party, DPP, governorship candidate during the January 6 re-run election in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru, yesterday, appealed the judgment of the tribunal before the Court of Appeal, Benin.

He is asking the appellate court to set aside the judgment by the Justice U. Ogwurike-led election tribunal, which dismissed his petition.

Chief Ogboru’s younger brother, Mr. Turner Ogboru,  who addressed newsmen in Asaba on the appeal, expressed optimism that the appeal will sail through.

Ogboru is contending in the appeal that the tribunal erred in law, when it failed to evaluate or properly evaluate the oral and documentary evidence adduced by parties in the petition.

… as tribunal strikes out statements by 36 INEC witnesses

THE Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, has struck out the statements of 36 witnesses listed by Independent Natio-nal Electoral Commission, INEC, on the April 26 governorship election, following a petition by the governorship candidate of the DPP, Chief Great Ogboru and his party, challenging the return of Governor Udua-ghan by INEC as winner of the election.

The tribunal ruled on an application by Ogboru’s counsel, Mr. Nichols Ichekor, praying the tribunal, in a pre-hearing session, to strike out the statements of the 37 witnesses listed by INEC, arguing that the statements were not signed by the deponents and not deposed to before any person duly authorised to administer the oath as provided in the Evidence Act.

The tribunal agreed that all the statements, except that of one Mr. Orie Noble, were defective.