There is heavy tension in Enugu, following the judgment of the Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to be delivered today, Thursday 21st September, 2023.
The Tribunal is chaired by Justice Kudirat Murayo Akano. It was instituted, following the petition instituted by the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the state, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, and LP against the return of the 2nd Respondent and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Peter Mbah, as the duly elected governor of Enugu State in the 18th March 2023 gubernatorial election.
Edeoga had approached the tribunal to disqualify the winner and declare him the winner of the election. The Labour Party candidate argues that the PDP candidate isn’t qualified to stand for the election and didn’t score the highest number of lawful votes cast.
However, Mbah told the Tribunal that Edeoga was not a validly nominated as the governorship candidate of the LP and lacked the locus to challenge his victory.
Mbah, in his submission, revealed that Edeoga, who participated in the governorship primary of the PDP held on 25th May 2022, and who was also recorded to have scored 9 votes in the said primary election, could not under the Electoral Act 2022 be presented by LP as its candidate.