The Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Chijioke Edoga, have expressed their disapproval of the judgment delivered by the Enugu State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.
The tribunal ruled against the LP’s petition challenging the victory of Governor Peter Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party in the March 18 governorship election.
The tribunal, led by Justice Kudirat Akano, declared the LP’s petition as lacking in merit and dismissed its grounds. One of the primary issues raised in the LP’s petition was the alleged forgery of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate by Governor Mbah.
Tribunal rules NYSC certificate not mandatory
However, the tribunal concluded that the NYSC certificate was not a qualification requirement for a gubernatorial candidate under the constitution.
While the LP’s contention of over-voting at specific polling units was upheld, resulting in a deduction of votes, the tribunal ultimately struck down the petition for lacking merit.
The LP and its candidate have stated their intent to challenge the verdict at the Court of Appeal.
In contrast, Governor Mbah hailed the tribunal’s decision as a victory for democracy and called for unity in building Enugu State.