Three Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Delta State have warned the party against fielding the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori, as its candidate for the 2023 governorship poll.
The trio – Augustine Oritsasrfunsaho, Kanabar Duke and Osigidi Amos— claimed that they are discrepancies in the names contained in documents submitted by Oborevwori to the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).
But a Niger Delta youth activist, Chief Vincent Oyibode, condemned the “mischievous campaigns of calumny” against Oborevwori, saying he (Speaker) is qualified to partake in the exercise..
The allegation by Oritsasrfunsaho, Duke and Amos is contained in an April 26 letter to the PDP National Chairman, Iyorcha Ayu.
The letter by their lawyer, B.O. Ojumah of Pristinus LP, reads in part: “Our clients are aware that many persons have expressed their interest in and desire to contest for various offices in the state, including the office of the governor.
“One of such persons is Rt. Honourable Oborevwori Francis Orohwedor Sheriff. This
is the name he stated/bears in INEC form CF 001 he presented to the party and to INEC on another occasion when he contested for the seat in the state House of Assembly.
“Our clients stumbled on other documents he attached to the said form and scrutiny of these documents reveals that Rt. Hon. Sheriff is not qualified to contest the election.
“This is due to the obvious inconsistencies in the names in the documents.”
They claimed that Oborevwori’s name ”transforms from one form to another,”, adding that for the Master’s Degree Certificate issued by the Delta State University, Abraka, “the name on it is at variance with the one in the said form 001.
“The certificate bears Oborevwori Francis Sheriff Orohwedor. In his first degree certificate issued by Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, the name Oborevwori Sheriff Francis is what it was issued with. Again this is at variance with the one in the said INEC form 001.
“Not only so, in his NYSC Certificate, but the name is also Oborevwori Sheriff F. and nothing more.
“It did not end there, in his West African Senior School Certificate, the name Oborevwori O. Francis is what is on it. And in his Primary School Leaving Certificate Oborevwori Francis is what he bears.”.
Referencing the case of David Lyon of Bayelsa State, who lost his seat following issues with the name of his deputy, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo, they reasoned that Sherriff might also cost the PDP if he is fielded as a candidate.
The letter added: “Our clients’ fear is that the party will be taking a very disastrous and catastrophic risk if it fields Rt. Hon. Sheriff in the upcoming election in 2023 as its gubernatorial candidate…
“This information is brought to you to assist the party in exercising her discretion when nominating/presenting the candidate that would represent her in the gubernatorial election.”
But Oyibode, who said he was Oborevwori’s faculty mate at the Ambrose Alli University, stated that claims of discrepancies in certificates the Speaker tendered before the screening committee in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, were unfounded and mischievous.
His words: “I went to the same Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State with the Speaker and we were in the same Faculty of Social Sciences. The Speaker was also in the same University as me during his Master’s programme at Delta State University, Abraka from where he graduated with a Master of Science degree in Political Science (MSc).
“It is obvious that some persons who dread his rising political profile or do not know Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori too well on issues of educational attainment have gone to town with some blasphemous claims of possible disqualification.
“Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori is a second class Upper Division graduate of Political Science from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma Edo, State in 2004.
“Anyone who doubts this should go to the 16th convocation Brochure of the aforementioned institution for quick verification. Oborevwori wouldn’t have been admitted to a degree programme without the requisite documents and qualifications.”