Final reprieve for Enugu’s Gov Mbah as S’Court upholds victory

BY ANDREW OROLUA

The Supreme Court, on Friday affirmed the election of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State as duly elected.

The apex court, in a unanimous judgement by a panel of five-man Justices, dismissed an appeal by Labour Party, LP, and its candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, who had challenged the outcome of the governorship election held in the state on March 18.2023.

According to the apex court, it found no reason whatsoever to disturb the concurrent verdicts of the Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Lagos, which dismissed all the allegations the appellants raised against the election victory of governor Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Apex Court resolved all the issues that were raised in the appeal, against the LP and Edeoga. It upheld the findings and judgement of Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal delivered on November 10. Particularly that Edeoga and his party failed to establish their allegation that governor Mbah was not qualified to contest the gubernatorial poll.

The court noted that though the appellants alleged that there was widespread over-voting within Mbah’s strongholds, they, however, failed to tender the voters register that was used for the election, to prove the allegation.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had declared Mbah of the PDP as winner of the gubernatorial contest after he polled a total of 160,895 votes.

While, Edeoga the Governorship of the Labour Party came second with 157,552 votes, Frank Nweke of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, polled 17, 983 votes to place third at the election.

Dissatisfied with the result LP and it’s candidate Chejioke Edeoga had in their petition before the tribunal claimed that they polled the highest number of valid votes at the election and therefore ought to have been declared winner instead of Mbah of the PDP.

Among other things, the LP and its candidate alleged that Mbah was ineligible to contest the election, alleging that he submitted forged National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Certificate to the INEC, in aid of his qualification.

However, the petitioners were unable to prove these allegations during the hearing of their petition.