TRIBUNAL: Gbagi Submits Congent Reasons, Seeks Disqualification Of Omo-Agege, Others
The governorship candidate on the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP), His Excellency, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, in his petition before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Asaba, is seeking the disqualification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Ovie Augustine Omo-Agege and his Deputy, Friday Osanebi over alleged forgery, dishonesty and multiple/ pattern of misconduct.
Gbagi, in his petition filed on his behalf by Chief Chris Uche, Magaji Mato Ibrahim, Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) and others, alleged that Omo-Agege and Osanebi made false claims in forms EC-9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said Omo-Agege, the APC governorship candidate and Osanebi, his running mate, who are the 6th and 7th Respondents respectively swore to false Affidavit in support of personal particulars in aid of their constitutional eligibility as Governor and Deputy Governor of Delta State but ended up lying under oath for the purpose of concealing the fact that they are not qualified to contest the election.
The renowned Criminologist revealed that both Omo-Agege and Osanebi, “applied to the 1st Respondent through the Law firm of Maduka LP and obtain the 6th and 7th Respondents’ Affidavit in support of personal particulars submitted in aid of their qualifications for election as Governor and Deputy Governor of Delta State respectively in 2023.
He said that in his INEC Form EC9, the 6th Respondent gave his name as Omo-Agege Ovie Augustine whereas in the same form in his West African Senior Secondary Certificate (WASSC), revealed the name as Agege Augustine.
According to Gbagi’s petition, the 6th Respondent, in the past three decades has “Chameleonically” changed his name as the circumstances and the situation suits him.
He said the name was “Omo-Agege Ovie Augustine, on 28th June 2022, in his INEC Form EC9, Agege Augustine, 1979, West African Senior School Certificate, Augustine Omoagege, August 1998, judgement of the Supreme Court of the State of California, United States of America in case No: 94-C-14401 MDM, Christopher Agege, Reginald Clark Bedney, January 1993, application for driver’s license in the State of New York, USA
“Ronald Shawn Byrd, December 10th 1992, application for identification card No. B3598638, Kirk Darwin Johnson, December 29th 1992, fraudulently obtain identification Card No. A9479637“.
Similarly, Gbagi said: “the 6th Respondent also presented himself in the United States of America, wherein he was admitted into the Bar of the State of California, on 14th December 1992, as Augustine Omo-Agege, a name distinct and different from the name used in his form EC9 under oath.
“All the documents remotely and closely related in his conviction in the United States of America, particularly the judgement of the Supreme Court of the State of California, are pleaded and same shall be relied upon during the trial of this petition.
“In the Supreme Court of the State of California in the United States of America, the 6th Respondent, was found guilty and convicted of the offences of perjury and impersonation wherein, in a bid to secure a driver’s license sometimes in 1993, listed his date of birth as May 10th 1965 and his name as Reginald Clark Bedney on the application and was issued with the Driver’s license No. C9768216355315621 in the State of New York on the basis of fake presentation made by the 6th Respondent.
“The 6th Respondent was convicted in the United States of America, for the offences of forgery, dishonesty and multiple/pattern of misconduct, a fact which he failed to disclose in his Form EC9 despite the express demand for him to do so”.
Gbagi, equally listed the sins of Osanebi, a former Deputy Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, under the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as the 7th Respondent did not include any educational credential because, same were nullified by a judgement of the Court of Appeal as forged documents.