The Media Office of the 2023 Govermorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, has taken the Spokesperson of the Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Campaign Council, one Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, who it described as “an unreliable character”, to the cleaners for attempting to engage Gbagi in unprintable words.
Speaking on Thursday at Voice of Delta Radio in Asaba, the erratic Latimore was quoted to have said Gbagi’s petition at the Election Petition Tribunal contained “unfounded and baseless allegations.”
The Media Office, which described the assertion as “groundless”, said Latimore is among Deltans who erroneously believe the state begins and ends with PDP, and will never come anywhere close to Gbagi’s sterling personality in his lifetime.
The media office said: “If Latimore is current, he should have buried his head in shame because the issues raised with dates and suiting circumstances by the SDP gubernatorial candidate in his 79 pages petition against Sheriff Oborevwori, as acknowledged by him are germine and awaits determination by the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal (Court), which is the hope of the common man.
It is true that when a man speaks the truth, he is called several names particularly by those who are of lesser character like the unstable Latimore who is known for name-calling. His case is like that of the “pot calling the kettle black”.
Latimore, a self-aggrandized person probably suffering from diarrhea of the mouth and an unpredictable pandemic awaiting outbreak, should not forget in a hurry his “Tribal bigot”, interview which initially sacked him as the Executive Assistant on Communications to the State governor.
Though Latimore and his usual style of writing are inconsequential considering the unblemish popularity of Gbagi, it is however right to set the records straight.
Gbagi, has been acknowledged by the incumbent, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and his predecessor, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, as the one one that has what it takes to liberate Delta State from the current economic setback.
Olorogun Gbagi, a onetime Chairman, Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, whom Latimore, opens his gutter mouth, to disrespect today, is one of those who made frantic effort to see that he was reinstated back to his office as Executive Assistant on Communications.
The Media Office said Gbagi is highly verifiable, has educational credentials while Oborevwori, has affidavits. Or will the Inconsistent Latimore, who calls himself “Barrister”, if truly he is one says Oborevwori did not lie in his INEC Form EC9?
Gbagi in his petition said the 3rd Respondent, in an attempt to meet the constitutional requirements of eligibility for the 2023 Governorship election, allegedly presented a falsified statutory declaration of age/Affidavit in support of personal particulars as contained in Form C.F. 001 (affidavit in support of personal particulars of persons seeking election to the office/membership of State House of Assembly) dated 24th October 2018 and form EC9 (affidavit in support of personal particulars) dated 30th Day of June 2022 through the 2nd Respondent (PDP) to the 1st Respondent (INEC)”.
He disclosed that the 3rd Respondent (Oborevwori), in the past three decades had “Chameleonically” changed his name as the circumstances and the situation suited him.
Gbagi, also said that on 19th February 1982, the name of the PDP Governor-Elect, was Francis Oborevwori, during his age declaration by one Benson Ogbolo while in June 1999, it changed with an initial as Oborevwori Francis O, as submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2018, and Oborevwori Sheriff, on 20th March, 2005, on his NYSC Certificate of exemption.
Similarly, on 17th July 2003, the 3rd Respondent’s name became Oborevwori Orohwedor Francis, 3rd Respondent’s affidavit of correction of birth submitted to the 3rd Respondent in 2018, while between 2009-2010, it was Oborevwori Francis Sheriff Orohwedor, “shown in degree certificate from Delta State University, Abraka and submitted to INEC in 2018 and Oborevwori Francis on 6th July 1977, “used in the 3rd Respondent’s Primary School Leaving Certificate submitted to INEC in 2018”.
Furthermore, he alleged that in 2018, the name was Oborevwori Sheriff Francis, “Used in Tax Certificate submitted to INEC in 2018, Chief Oborevwori Sheriff, “PDP membership card submitted to INEC, also in 2018 and in 2004, it was Oborevwori Sheriff Francis, “used in the 3rd Respondent’s degree certificate from Ambrose Ali University and submitted to INEC 2018.
In same vein, in 2022, the name reads as Oborevwori Sheriff Francis O, “used in PDP membership card submitted to INEC in 2022 while in 2009, the name appears as Oborevwori Francis Sheriff Orohwedor, “used in the degree certificate from Delta University submitted to INEC in 2022”.
In another development, 4/5/22, the name was Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori, “attestation of birth certificate submitted to INEC in 2022, between 10-12-2009, the name became Oborevwori Sheriff Francis, “Voter card submitted to INEC in 2022 and on 17th July 2023, it is Oborevwori Orohwedor Francis, “used in the affidavit of correction of birth by the 3rd Respondent himself”.
Gbagi argued further that despite the apparent multiplicity of names at different fora paraded by the 3rd Respondent, in part F of form EC9 on the declaration, the 3rd Respondent signed the said deposition after declaration and certified the following, “I hereby Declared that all the answers, facts, and particulars I have given in this form are true and corrected and I have to the best of my knowledge fulfilled all the requirements or qualification for the office I am seeking to be elected”.
He said: “the 3rd Respondent’s statutory Declaration of Age/affidavit deposed to in 2022 contains a different age contrary to what is contained in his West African Senior School Certificate (WASSC) dated June 1999 with certificate Number 384793.
“The 3rd Respondent lied under oath that he does not have primary school certificate, secondary school certificate, and his university degree, whereas, in 2018, he exhibited same with his form C. F. 001.
“That his refusal to exhibit those documents in 2022, as done in 2018 is because of the challenge that those documents if exhibited, will not be favourable to him.
“That the 3rd Respondent submitted and swore to false information in relation to the constitutional requirements of eligibility in his Affidavit of personal particulars supporting his nomination form submitted to the 1st Respondent.
He stressed that “in INEC Form EC9, the 3rd Respondent gave his name as Oborevwori Sheriff Francis Orohwedor, whereas in the same form, his Peoples Democratic Party membership card with No. 0724095, reveals the name as Oborevwori Sheriff Francis O”.
According to the Media Office, “We are in sympathy with Latimore, who need to keep attacking the man they claim did not win any local government but is the only qualified candidate, on which ground, he approached the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to be declared winner of the election.
Orusi Kenneth,
Chief Press Secretary to Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi FNIM, OON
SDP Governorship Candidate,
Delta State.