After the parties in the case adopted their written addresses, the Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal reserved judgement on the petitions contesting the election of Governor Peter Mbah on Wednesday.
Justice Akano, the panel’s chief, held off on making a decision during the Tribunal’s resumed proceedings, saying that he will properly notify the parties of his decision date.
Chijioke Edeoga, a candidate for the Labour Party, is contesting the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) determination that Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party is the State’s duly elected governor following the March 18 governorship elections.
The second respondent (Peter Mbah) appeared in court on Wednesday, but the petitioners (Edeoga and the Labour Party) were not.
The petition names Dr. Mbah and PDP as the second and third respondents, respectively, and INEC as the first respondent.
Peter Mbah’s attorney, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, adopted his remarks and sought the court to dismiss the Labour Party’s petitions as being unjustified and only an academic exercise.
Similarly, Anthony Ani, SAN, the attorney for the Peoples Democratic Party, argued that the petitioners’ claim was nebulous and devoid of supporting data.
As part of his closing arguments, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, the main attorney for the Labour Party and its governorship candidate, pleaded with the tribunal to support his clients’ positions and provide the reliefs they had requested.
Because Mr. Peter Mbah had submitted a fake certificate of national service to INEC, it has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he was not legally eligible to run for office at the time of the election.
Chief Adegboyega Awomolo cited the petitioner’s claims of excessive voting, non-use of BVAS, and purported forging of a NYSC certificate as justifications for ruling in favour of his client, Eddiega.
