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. (NAN)