The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the election of Dr Peter Mbah as the duly elected governor of Enugu State, dismissing the appeal by Chijoke Edeoga of the Labour Party.
This verdict follows earlier affirmations by the Election Petition Tribunal and the Appeal Court, both supporting Mbah’s win declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the March 18th Governorship poll.
Challenges mounted by Edeoga and the Labour Party at all three court levels faced unanimous dismissals, culminating in the Supreme Court’s final decision.
Recall that on September 21, 2023, the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Enugu rejected the petition against Mbah’s election. Chairing the three-member panel, Justice Kudirat Akano declared the petition incompetent and lacking in merit, leading to its dismissal.
The Tribunal, echoing a recent Presidential Election Petition Court decision, emphasized that an NYSC discharge certificate does not serve as a qualification for a gubernatorial candidate. It stressed that the constitutional requirements, as outlined in section 177 of the 1999 constitution, focus on academic qualifications, specifically a school certificate.
Addressing the issue of a forged certificate, the tribunal highlighted the need to interpret section 182 (1) (j) in conjunction with section 177, emphasizing that disqualification should consider both sections.
The second ground, questioning the validity of Mbah’s election based on vote count, was resolved in favor of the respondents. The tribunal ruled that petitioners’ witnesses were incompetent, as they failed to comply with Electoral Act provisions regarding the submission of party agent information to INEC.