Obaseki’s re-election irreversible – Court

The re-election of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has remained irreversible by the court.  Accordingly, the Court of Appeal, sitting in Benin City, on Wednesday, turned down the suit to reverse the victory of Obaseki in the September 19, 2020 governorship election in Edo State. The appellate court, upheld the judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which struck out the petition brought before it by the Action Democratic Party (ADP),.

The Elections Petitions Tribunal in its judgement two months ago, dismissed the petition of the ADP and its governorship candidate, Iboi Lucky, rejecting the result of the September 19, 2020 governorship election in Edo State won by Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for a second tenure.

The Appeal Court, in its judgement on the case marked CA/B/EPT/GOV/01 & 1A/2021 Action Democratic Party & Anor v. INEC & 2Ors, declared that Obaseki did not forge his certificates with which he contested the 2020 governorship election; then, threw out the appeal by the ADP and its candidate. Justice M.A. Owoade dismissed the suit for lack of merit.

The judges of the Appeal Court also, in the suit marked /B/EPT/GOV/02/2021 Action Peoples Party (APP) Vs Godwin N. Obaseki & 2Ors., unanimously upheld the Judgment of the Tribunal, affirming that Governor Obaseki won all eight issues presented for determination in the appeal. The Court, therefore, dismissed the appeal, awarding costs in the sum of N600,000 each, on two different counts.

Justice M.A. Owoade, reading the lead judgement, turned down the main appeal, the preliminary objection and the cross appeal.

Justice M.A. Owoade emphasized that the inclusion of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, as respondents in the petition, was a ploy by Ize-Iyamu to fight his case through another petitioner, noting that it as a case of ‘squeezing the rock for water’.