By Ayo Yusuf
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu State has upheld the election of Governor Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party in the March 18 governorship election.
The three-member panel of the tribunal led by Justice Kudirat Murayo dismissed the petitions of the Labour Party and its candidate, Hön Chijioke Edeoga, insisting that they could not prove their petitions.
In dismissing the petitioners’ petition, the tribunal declared that the National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate is not a qualification to contest a governorship election.
Hon. Edeoga is challenging the return of Governor Mbah as the duly elected governor of Enugu State on grounds of submitting a forged NYSC discharge certificate, and over voting, among others.
However, delivering judgement on Thursday on the petition, the tribunal struck out the forgery of the NYSC certificate case, saying “NYSC discharge Certificate is not a qualification for governorship.”
The court queried “Assuming that the NYSC discharge certificate of the second Respondent as claimed by the Petitioners was forged, is the NYSC Certificate a qualification to contest for Governor in Nigeria. according to the constitution? The answer is no.”
Hon. Edeoga is challenging the return of Governor Mbah as the duly elected governor of Enugu State in the March 18, 2023 governorship election.
Hön Edeoga, a former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Information, had approached the tribunal to disqualify Governor Mbah and declare him the winner of the election, having allegedly scored the highest valid votes cast.
The LP candidate argued that the PDP candidate wasn’t qualified to stand for the election and didn’t score the highest number of votes cast.
However, Governor Mbah had told the tribunal that Hon Edeoga was not validly nominated as the governorship candidate of the LP and lacked the locus to challenge his victory.
Governor Mbah, in his submission, revealed that Hon Edeoga, who participated in the governorship primary of the PDP held May 25, 2022, and who was also recorded to have scored nine votes in the said primary election, could not under the Electoral Act 2022 be presented by LP as its candidate.
The parties had on August 16, adopted their final written addresses, after which the court reserved ruling on the petitions.
Yesterday, fierce-looking security agents were deployed around the State High Court Complex in anticipation of today’s ruling.
