The supreme court of Nigeria on Monday upheld the election of Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor of Edo state.
A seven-member panel of Justices of the apex court, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen dismissed the appeal filed by Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2016 governorship election in the state.
Ize-Iyamu had challenged the decision of the Court of Appeal which affirmed Obaseki as the duly elected governor of Edo state.
The apex court reserved July 21, 2017 to give reasons for the judgment.
Recalled that the Court of Appeal had last month dismissed Ize-Iyamu’s petition for lacking in merit.
Ize-Iyamu, through his counsel, Yusuf Ali, appealed against the judgment of the Justice Ahmed Badamasi-led Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that affirmed Obaseki as winner of the September 28, 2016 governorship election in Edo state.
Justice M.B. Dongban-Mensem, who delivered the judgment of the Court of Appeal held that the Tribunal was right to uphold Obaseki’s election, explaining further that the Tribunal did a painstaking job and was right to dismiss Osagie Ize-Iyamu’ petition.
The Justice Ahmed Badamasi-led three member panel of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, dismissed Ize-Iyamu’s petition for lacking in merit.
Justice Badamasi held that PDP and its candidate failed in all fronts to prove the allegations as pleaded in their petitions
“The petitioners have failed to prove their case with credible evidence and is therefore dismissed,” he said.
Ize-Iyamu had asked the Tribunal to nullify the election of Obaseki and declare him winner, having scored majority of the lawful votes cast among other reliefs.
He argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was wrong to have declared Obaseki winner of the governorship election.
Ize-Iyamu also alleged that the election was fraught with corrupt practices and over voting, adding that INEC did not comply with the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) in the conduct of the said election.
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