The gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), in the March 18 governorship contest and governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, has finally owned up that one of his contended names, Sheriff, was not truly given to him by his biological parents.
Oborevwori’s admittance during a session of cross examination by Paul Erokoro SAN, one of the counsels to the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, staggered his supporters and counsel who were not pleased with the testimony.
Oborevwori, who was represented by Sunday Onoriode, as a witness, revealed that the name Sheriff was given to the governor by his uncle due to his love for him.
Onoriode, who contradicted himself, after disclosing that Sheriff was given to him by his uncle, told the tribunal that all the names given to him by his parents, are contained in all the documents he submitted to PDP and INEC.
Hear him: “I stand for the 3rd Respondent, I was not there when he made his depone but as the director of election management of our party, the PDP, I was conversant with all the documents he used for the election”.
He affirmed to the tribunal that he (Onoriode) was not present when Oborevwori’s parents named him.
According to him, “I was not present when his parents named him but all the names that were given by his parents were contained in all the documents he presented to our party, the PDP and INEC”.
Asked if he was aware that Oborevwori answered names not given to him by his parents, he said “I am not aware that he answered names outside the names given to him by his parents but I am aware that all the names he answered are names given to him”.
Asked to state the name his parents gave him, he said; “his parents named him Orowhedor Oborevwori Francis but his uncle called him by name Sheriff which he later added to his name.
“The uncle never changed his name, he added that name to him to be part of his name because of the love he has for him”.
Onoriode told the tribunal that the 3rd Respondent is alive and affirmed that he lives within Nigeria.
It would be recall that the SDP gubernatorial candidate in a 79 page petition, insisted that Oborevwori who contested under the PDP, was not qualified to contest the 18th March election in the State.
He said he took judicial notice of various constitutional breaches of Oborevwori.
The renowned criminologist said this was the right time, for every constitutional option to be explored to ensure all the breaches are addressed by the governorship election petition tribunal.
The former minister of state for education, said Oborevwori, who is the 3rd Respondent in his petition, 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 alleged 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 declare 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”.
Gbagi, in his petition before the Tribunal, stated, among others, that Oborevwori is not qualified to contest, in the first place, and therefore should be disqualified forthwith.
