Peter Mbah Become Enugu State Governor
The Supreme Court’s Decision
The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State. The court dismissed an appeal filed by the Labour Party and its candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, who challenged the outcome of the governorship election that took place on March 18.
Why the Appeal Was Dismissed
The Supreme Court found no reason to overturn the verdicts of the Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Lagos. These courts had already dismissed all the allegations made by the appellants against Governor Mbah’s election victory.
The Court of Appeal’s Decision
The Court of Appeal in Lagos had previously upheld Governor Mbah’s election. The court dismissed three issues raised by the Labour Party and its candidate, Edeoga, against him. The court stated that Edeoga and his party failed to prove their allegation that Governor Mbah was not qualified to run for governor.
Insufficient Evidence
The Court of Appeal noted that although the appellants claimed there was widespread over-voting in Mbah’s strongholds, they did not provide the voter register used for the election as evidence. Therefore, the court concluded that the LP and its candidate did not present enough reasons to overturn the earlier verdict of the Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
Supreme Court’s Final Decision
Erdogan took the matter to the Supreme Court after being dissatisfied with the Court of Appeal’s decision. However, the Supreme Court also ruled against him on Friday. The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Governor Mbah as the winner of the election, and the Supreme Court affirmed this decision.
Allegations of Ineligibility
The LP and its candidate alleged that Governor Mbah was ineligible to run for governor because he submitted a forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate to the INEC. However, the tribunal dismissed this allegation, stating that Governor Mbah met the minimum requirements for the election, including possessing a school certificate or its equivalent.
Insufficient Witness Testimony
The tribunal decisively dismissed the testimony of certain witnesses, highlighting that their statements failed to accompany the petition. Emphasizing the imperative standard in a criminal allegation, the tribunal insisted on incontrovertibly proving evidence of forgery beyond a reasonable doubt.
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