The Justice M.K. Akano- led Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has reserved judgment in the petition filed by the Labour Party and its governorship candidate, Chijioke Edeoga challenging the declaration of Peter Mbah as the winner of March 18 election in Enugu State.
The election Court will equally on a later date deliver judgment in the petition by the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP and its candidate against Governor Peter Mbah and the PDP.
It was a day of legal fireworks at the Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal as parties made their submissions in the adoption of their final written addresses.
It was on two separate petitions brought against the electoral victory of Governor Peter Mbah, the candidate of the PDP in the election by his closest challenger, Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party as well as that of the People’s Redemption Party, PRP.
Apart from reserving judgments in the two petitions, the Justice Akano Panel will equally give its ruling on a motion by counsel to the Labour Party and Edeoga seeking to correct some typographical errors contained in their final written addresses before the court.
Adopting its final address on the Labour Party’s petition, counsel to Governor Peter Mbah, Wole Olanipekun, SAN submitted that the defence relied on evidence adduced by its witnesses, urging the court to dismiss the petitioners petition for failure to prove its case.
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Also, counsel to INEC and that of the PDP in their final adoptions, told the Court to weigh the evidence before her and hold that the election that returned Peter Mbah as winner of the governorship election was conducted in substantial compliance with the extant provisions of the law.
The lawyers to the petitioners, Labour Party and Chijioke Edeoga in adopting their final written addresses, first sought the leave of the court to effect corrections on some clerical errors.
Though the motion was opposed by Counsel to the respondents, the court however, said it will give its ruling on the motion alongside with the substantive judgment on the matter.
Lead Counsel to the petitioners, AZINGE VALERIA told the justices that the Labour Party and its governorship candidate had successfully laid out evidences of forgery, overvoting and wrongful computations against Mbah, urging the Court to uphold the petitioners petition.
On the petition filed by the candidate of the People’s Redemption Party, the counsel, in adopting its final address, asked the Tribunal to nullify the March 18, 2023, governorship election for non-compliance with the electoral laws and guidelines.
But, counsel to the Respondents, Anthony Ani urged the Tribunal to dismiss the petition, describing it as not worth the time of the court.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
