The Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu, has re-affirmed Peter Ndubuisi Mbah as duly elected Governor of the Coal City State.

On March 22, INEC declared the PDP Candidate, Mbah winner with 160895 votes against his closest challenger the LP Candidate, Chijioke Jonathan Edeoga's 157552 votes in the 18th March Governorship poll.

Dissatisfied with the results as declared by the umpire, the Labour Party and Edeoga through their Counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo SAN, approached the tribunal seeking redress. INEC, Mbah and PDP are listed as the first, second and third respondents, respectively.

Edeoga/LP's anchored their petition based on 3 grounds:

(1) That Mbah was not qualified to participate in the election because he failed the basic eligibility test by filing a forged NYSC discharge Certificate under oath.

(2) That the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act, with respect to the non-use of BVAS machines for accreditation, inter-changing of LP's results in 19 PUs at the Ward Collation Centre in Udenu LGA , electoral violence and

(3) That the election result was not counted in accordance with the law due to over-voting, wrong tabulations especially in Mbah's Owo Ward and Ugbawka 1 Ward, both of Nkanu East LGA, etc.

In turn, Mbah through his Counsel Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN asked the Court to dismiss the petition for lacking in merit and been an academic exercise.

He argued that Edeoga participated in the Primary of the 3rd Respondent (PDP) on 25th May 2022, lost securing only 9 votes and now emerged Candidate of the LP on June 9, hence his name was not on the membership register of the LP and therefore had no locus to approach the tribunal.

Dismissing same, Justice Kudirat Morayo Akano held that Edeoga is a member of the LP, as the Party had not denied sponsoring him. He also ruled that the membership of a Political Party is within the domestic affairs of that Party and is non-justiciable.

The tribunal overruled the witness statements of PW1 - PW3, PW30, DW2, and DW4. Citing the PEPT suit in Peter Obi & Anor v. INEC & 3 Ors, Justice Akano averred that the witness statements on oath were uploaded out of time and outside the 21 days stipulated under the Electoral Act.

In his ruling on Ground 1, the tribunal held that the Petitioners did not prove that the 2nd respondent did not possess the minimum educational requirements (which is School Certificate or its equivalent) to stand for election.

Mbah did not submit his NYSC requirements to INEC in aid of his qualifications to contest the office of Governor of Enugu State, Justice Akano held.

The tribunal further struck out Ground 1 of the petition on the premise that the NYSC discharge certificate according to Section 177 of the 1999 CFRN is not a requirement for contesting Governorship election in Nigeria.

On Ground 2, Justice Akano ruled that the petitioners failed to prove their case as the witnesses were not INEC-accredited agents and hence their testimonies were invalid.

On the witness statements from the INEC accredited agents, 51 votes were deducted from the PDP and added to the LP. The learned Judge ruled that it was not enough to torpedo the PDP and Mbah.

On Ground 3, the Judge held that PW10 indeed proved that voting did not take place in his Amagu PU and hence it was cancelled for all parties, however in the remaining 10 PUs in Nkanu East LGA the Agents did not sign the results sheet and hence their witnesses statements discountenanced as they cannot prove they were Party Agents.

Justice Akano dismissed the petition for lacking in merit, weak, based on hearsay and loads of concocted and inadmissible evidence.

He affirmed Mbah as the winner of the election having scored the majority of lawful votes cast.

The tribunal had earlier dismissed the petition of Chris Agu and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) seeking the disqualification of Peter Mbah.

The Petitioners alleged Mbah was an ex-convict having entered a plea bargain with the EFCC in the past. They also raised the issue of alleged forgery of his NYSC discharge certificate.

The panel led by Justice Akano dismissed both issues based on the inability of the petitioner to provide certified true copies (CTCs) of the alleged documents and cannot rely on photocopies of documents.

The tribunal averred that evidence provided by Mbah shows he was acquitted of the charges.

To prove forgery, there must be two copies and it is on the petitioner to produce the original and the forged, the tribunal ruled.

The tribunal also dismissed Ground 2 (non-compliance) as the petitioner couldn't present polling agents result before the tribunal and himself couldn't even state his Party's score in the polling unit he voted but based his highest number of votes on oral hearsay.

The March 18 Guber Election complied with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act wherein Mbah scored the majority of lawful votes cast at the election and duly returned as Governor, Justice Akano held.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/breaking-tribunal-affirms-enugu-govs-election/%3famp

I don't care

Presidential election was my major concern

IconicR:
I don't care

Presidential election was my major concern

Presidential election indeed, follow them that know Road, or you keep wailing, where is racoon, Taylor90 & co Obidients that were shouting that Mbah was a Goner?

Will this news lower the current exchange rate ?.

But we know what we know

Bad news for the headless mob . We told you before

Wow

duro4chang:
Bad news for the headless mob . We told you before

Dollar is N1000
Economy failing under your god.

Bad news for Rice bandits

rolams, you remember that NYSC conversation?

On the Enugu Tribunal Judgment:

NYSC, the makers of the document TESTIFIED THAT THE CERTIFICATE DID NOT COME FROM THEM!


If you're a lawyer go and open kiosk.

Na useless profession you dey so now.

Na waooo.... after all the evidence even from an issuing institution

Nawa o

When Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka laid hands on Gov. Peter Mbah and blessed him before the election, you could sense it that all his opponents would labour in vain like Peter Obi.

What of the fake NYSC case? Looking at the tribunal judgement, it is clear that the people advising Labour Party candidates are doing a very bad job. How can you be taking matters to court without any valid evidence? These guys just used "hearsay" as an evidence that the election was rigged. I'm so disappointed in this party.

Nonny95:

Dollar is N1000 Economy failing under your god.
Bad new for Rice bandits

Bad news for the wailers. You go wail taya

Law in Nigeria is now a thing of mockery...

So employers should not ask for NYSC again abi?

Edeoga looks so incompetent. Let Peter mbah stay.

Cyberterror:
When Rev. Father Ejike Mbaka laid hands on Gov. Peter Mbah and blessed him before the election, you could sense it that all his opponents would labour in vain like Peter Obi.

Same Mbaka that is said Buhari is a blessing to Nigeria?

Stop being Moro. Nic

Incumbent

Ok. It is much expected.

Mbah is a goal, Edeoga is just a noise maker capitalising on Obi to ride to Lion Building

Governor Alex Otti must be careful that Peter Obi's badluck doesn't catch up with him like it did to Edeoga now and Emeka Ihedioha then. He should latch onto his friendship with Anambra state Governor Professor Chukwuma Soludo CFR and decamp to APGA as soon as the coast is clear for him to.

too bad

Nonny95:
On the Enugu Tribunal Judgment:

NYSC, the makers of the document TESTIFIED THAT THE CERTIFICATE DID NOT COME FROM THEM!


If you're a lawyer go and open kiosk.

Na useless profession you dey so now.

These crop of judges will soon destroy this country. What a way to suddenly turn this country to banana Republic where the highest bidders get elected.

E be like na certificate forgery be the way now.

If that NYSC thing is true, then the man shouldn’t remain on that seat. Pre-election matter or not. Forgery is forgery.

Okay

Waste of time and money.

fergie001:





https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/breaking-tribunal-affirms-enugu-govs-election/%3famp

To prove forgery, there must be two copies and it is on the petitioner to produce the original and the forged, the tribunal ruled.

Make Chicago release afonjaaaa president certificate make we compare with the copy he submitted to INEC....

I know why I find this funny. People wey say "them no go gree" fight don set o. Online warriors...one thingI know, anything wey anybody like for this country make them do. I no go fit die 4 am. Nigeria...SMH