Unless there is an appeal, which is most likely, the calm looking Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mba, a Lawyer, has finally heaved a sigh of relief. Since his election as Governor in March 2023, Mba has been hounded from left, right and centre by the Management of the National Youth Service Corp which accused him of forging his NYSC discharge certificate, and his co-contestant, Barrister Chijoke Edoga, of the Labour Party who dragged him to the Tribunal asking that he, Edoga, be declared the duly elected Governor.
But on Thursday, all the obstacles were removed his way.
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu upheld his election as the winner of the March 18 Governorship election.
Edeoga had taken him to the Tribunal to challenge his declaration as winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on the grounds that Mbah was unqualified to stand for the election.
Among other things, Edoga alleged that Mba forged his NYSC certificate. He, also, cited over-voting in Udenu, Nkanu East and Enugu East local government areas.
However, the Tribunal chaired by the Honourable Justice Kudirat Murayo Akano dismissed all the petition against Mba and affirmed his election.
It held that NYSC is not a requirement for contesting the office of the Governor. And that Mba never attached the NYSC Certificate to the documents he submitted to INEC.
The Panel dismissed all the evidences by the DSS, NYSC official and others because they were not in compliance with paragraph 4, sub-section 5D of the evidence act.
The submissions of pw26 was described as a hearsay by the panel and not helpful to the petitioners and, therefore, resolved the issue of Certificate Forgery in favour of tye Governor.
On the alleged wrong computation of results of the Labour Party in Udenu Local Government, the Panel ruled that the petitioners were unable to prove his case and the witnesses they called “gave the same report from different polling units and wards and wondered why their testimonies are the same even from different locations.”
The panel also said that the witnesses presented by the Labour Party were not duly accredited agents by INEC which makes their testimony invalid.
The Tribunal, based on the witnesses from the agents in three polling units, deducted 51 votes from PDP and added same to Labour Party. But it held that the deduction was not enough to overturn the election of tye Governor.
The panel cancelled the votes in Amagu, Nkanu LGA for all parties because the witness, pw10, proved he was there anWITNESS,, the right person.
In the other polling units, the Tribunal held that the witnesses did not sign the result sheet and discountenanced their submissions because they could not prove they were party agents.
Finally, the Panel dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.
Jubilation greeted the ruling in parts of Enugu State.
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