Enugu Guber: LP, PDP Resort To Prayers As Tribunal Delivers Verdict On Thursday

Ahead of Thursday’s ruling of the Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, members of the Labour Party and ruling Peoples Democratic Party have resorted to seeking divine favour.

LP’s Chijioke Edeoga, former member of the House of Representatives, is contesting the declaration of PDP’s Peter Mbah winner of the March 18 guber poll in many fronts, including over-voting, forgery of NYSC discharge certificate, wrong tabulations, and electoral violence.

Mba, a lawyer, claims he won the election, in addition that Edeoga, also a lawyer and journalist, was not properly nominated to fly the flag of LP, having decamped from PDP to LP.

The anxiety among their supporters has made them to resort to prayers.

Emeka Onah, a trader and stalwart of LP in Udenu LGA, said, “My prayer is simple: let people’s votes count. Edeoga won black and white. Everybody knows. If he didn’t win, I wouldn’t be concerned, after all, I never liked politics.

“I participated in the last one because I thought votes would count. But INEC had another plan. We pray for God’s favour. We also pray for the judiciary not to desecrate their sacred duty.”

Silas Apeh is a local government chieftain of LP. He said, “I am afraid because of what transpired at the PEPT where INEC willingly joined the respondents. I won’t be surprised if the same thing plays out.

“But my hope was restored by the Appeal Court reversals that have taken place in Delta State. My prayer is for God to save our democracy by letting the wish of the people be, otherwise, there will never be democracy in Nigeria in the near future.”

Charles Nebife is a member of Pinnacle Movement, a campaign organisation of Mba.

He said, “I don’t want the court to sack Mba. He has shown that he is competent. I don’t want to comment on forgery because Mba also sued NYSC for conniving with LP. That case ought to be determined before the tribunal can decide on it. I expect that aspect to be struck out.”

Reuben Nebeolisa is a chieftain of the PDP in Udi LGA.

He said, “I am optimistic that Mba will win. He assembled the best lawyers to argue his case. That is not to say that I am not losing sleep. Enugu’s case is peculiar, especially this NYSC matter. But God must hear our prayers.”

THE WHISTLER reports that the parties in the case on August 16 adopted their addresses, and since then, residents of the state had been expectant of what the outcome would be.

The three-man state guber tribunal is headed by Honourable Justice Akano. The uniqueness of Enugu guber election is that it was announced four days after the polls, with the state returning officer, Prof Iwe, reportedly saying that was under authority to declare the results.

During the four-days the result lingered before declaration, INEC had yanked off about 15, 000 votes LP claimed were over-voting in Mba’s Owo ward, prompting Edeoga’s demand for the method used in reducing the votes without his representative.

The declared result showed that Mba scored 160,895 votes while Edeoga got 157,552 votes.