A seven-man panel of judges led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Walter Onnoghen, has given its verdict on the appeal before it by People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate in the 2016 Edo governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
It ruled that Mr. Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was validly elected as Governor of Edo State.
However, it said it would give reasons for its decision on July 24.
The court dismissed an appeal filed Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the decision of the appeal court which affirmed the position of Obaseki as governor.
The CJN stated that the court had gone through the brief earlier, making it easier to arrive at a judgment as quickly as possible.
The PDP candidate Pastor Ize-Iyamu had approached the apex court filing the dismissal of his appeal at the Appeal Court, which challenged Obaseki’s election as governor.
The appeal before the Supreme Court had 21 grounds upon which the appellant and his party were standing to demand that Osagie Ize-Iyamu be declared winner of the September 28 2016 governorship election.
In an interview with Channels TV, Obaseki on his part, had stated earlier that his victory would stand regardless of where the opposition party carried the case to.
He ssid, “I won the elections free and fair and square and the people of Edo State voted for me overwhelmingly,” Obaseki said, adding that he would not be surprised if the PDP still went ahead to fight the battle despite the fact that the victory remained that of the APC.
“God gave me the victory, the people of Edo State voted for me, our ancestors blessed the victory, the courts in their wisdom have also reaffirmed my victory so wherever they go to, the Supreme Court, the World Court, this my victory will stand.”
