Fijabi Olanrewaju
THE Labour Party (LP) has again reiterated that the verdict of various election petition tribunals as well as the Court of Appeal against its governorship candidate in Enugu State, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, and some members of the state House of Assembly elected on the platform of the party is not reflective of the electoral preference of the people of the state.
The party said in a statement on Monday that the election tribunal which sat in Enugu and the Court of Appeal which sat in Lagos rejecting its weighty evidence that it won the 18 March 2024 governorship election has left many political and judiciary watchers stunned.
The LP listed the evidence to include:
- That PDP’s (People’s Democratic Party) Peter Mbah was at the time of the election not qualified to contest the election into the office of Governor of Enugu State having presented a forged NYSC discharge certificate to INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) in contravention of Section 182(1)(j) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
- Evidence to prove this came from the NYSC Director of Certification who was subpoenaed by the tribunal and he made it clear that Mbah was parading a forged NYSC certificate. Earlier, the Director-General of the NYSC Brig Gen. Y.D. Ahmed had gone on national television, ARISE TV to say that Mbah was parading a forged NYSC certificate.
- The Labour Party candidate also tendered an NYSC disclaimer letter dated 2/2/23 which was admitted as Exhibit EPT01/8A& B. PW2, from the legal firm of Omas & Partners, also a subpoenaed witness. who was the person who wrote NYSC for confirmation of Mbah’s NYSC discharge certificate, tendered in evidence the original disclaimer letter from the NYSC and her letter to the NYSC.
- Also tendered was a Letter of Appointment dated 14 July 2003 appointing Mr Mbah as Chief of Staff to the then governor of Enugu State Dr Chimaroke Nnamani when he claimed to be serving in Lagos as a corps member.
- Also tendered as evidence from INEC staff was Mbah’s Form EC9 (Nomination Form and Affidavits of Personal Particulars) and it was confirmed that the said forged NYSC certificate was attached to his Form EC9.
- Also tendered but rejected by the tribunal and Court of Appeal as not enough were the various witness statements confirming over-voting, the act of non-compliance complained by our candidate in Nkanu-East and Igboeze-North local government areas and the failure of INEC to cancel the results in places where there were incidences of over-voting as stipulated by the Electoral Act.
“In Enugu State, we need to remind Nigerians and all lovers of democracy that the Labour Party won two of the three senate seats; seven of the eight House of Representatives seats, and 14 majority of the 24 state House of Assembly seats but INEC and the judiciary are trying to give the victory to another party.
“Our position is that if this stands at the Supreme Court, four major and dangerous things will happen: the will and desire of Enugu people as demonstrated in their voting pattern on 18 March will be undermined, forgery of the NYSC certificate, and indeed other certificates, will be legalized, NYSC, as a credible national institution in the country, will be destroyed and the military that oversees the body as a paramilitary body will be dented.
“Our appeal therefore is for the apex court to look judiciously at all the evidence and the law in the Enugu case and do justice and nothing short of that.
Eighteen Eleven Media