The Enugu Election Petitions Tribunal has dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) challenging the declaration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Peter Mbah, as the winner of the 2023 governorship election.
Recall that the PRP had alleged in its petition that Mbah was an ex-convict having entered into a plea bargain with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the past.
PRP also pleaded that Mbah should be disqualified for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate forgery.
In a ruling on Thursday, the tribunal dismissed the issue of plea bargain and forged NYSC discharge certificate based on the inability of the petitioner to provide certified true copies of the alleged documents and cannot rely on photocopies of documents.
The tribunal added that another ground for the dismissal was that the PRP could not present its polling agents’ results before the tribunal.
The court said the petitioner could not even state their score in the polling unit where its star witness voted but based his highest number of votes on “oral hearsay.”
Mbah vs Edeoga: Tension As Tribunal To Deliver Judgement On Enugu Gubernatorial Election
There is palpable tension in Enugu State as the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Enugu would deliver its judgment on the petitions challenging the declaration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Peter Mbah, as the winner of the 2
OsunDailyNG reports that the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Chijioke Edeoga, is challenging Mbah’s victory.
The Justice Kudirat Morayo Akano-led three-member tribunal had on Tuesday announced today’s judgment date to kick off by 9 a.m.
Edeoga and LP had gone to the tribunal contesting, among other things, the authenticity of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate presented by Mbah, whom the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election winner.
They also alleged that Mbah failed to fulfill his mandatory youth service obligations before assuming a political post in 2003, just as they contested the validity of the votes accrued during the electoral process.
