Edo guber poll: Anxiety mounts as Appeal Court delivers judgement today
newtelegraphonline.com There was anxiety among leaders and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday as the Appeal Court will today deliver judgement in the December 26, 2016 governorship poll in the state.
The PDP candidate in the election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, was challenging the election of Governor Godwin Obaseki, who was declared winner of the election by the lower tribunal.
Already, the state police command said it had deployed more than 30 patrol vans and more than 150 of its personnel to man the court premises and environs as well as parts of the state capital, to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Moses Nkombe, told New Telegraph that an operational order had been in place to effect water-tight measures aimed at ensuring that law and order in parts of the state during the court proceedings was maintained.
It will be recalled that the Justice Ahmed Badamasiled Edo State Election Petition Tribunal had in its judgement validated the declaration by INEC that Mr. Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the election.
It is expected that judgement of the appellate court will dwell on the grounds of appeal and counter appeal of both sides in the suit.
The Appeal Court had in a letter on Thursday conveyed its decision to deliver the ruling on the sweaty legal turf argued by counsel to both parties of the APC and the PDP in the state.
Ize-Iywamu and the PDP had prayed the appellate court to set aside the decision of the tribunal and another order nullifying the return of the second respondent, Obaseki, as governor and to declare him, Ize-Iyamu, as the winner of the governorship polls, having scored the highest number of lawful votes cast in the September 26, 2016 election.
The PDP and Ize-Iyamu alleged that the tribunal judges erred when it truncated their (appellants’) rights to fair hearing by the unequal treatment to the cases of the parties.
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