In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has dismissed an appeal challenging the election victory of Governor Peter Mbah in Enugu State.
The court’s decision reaffirms Mbah as the legitimate governor of the state.
A five-member panel of justices, in a unanimous judgment delivered on Friday, dismissed the appeal brought forth by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its gubernatorial candidate in the state’s election, Uche Nnaji.
The court held that the appellants had filed an “invalid brief of argument,” rendering their case incompetent.
Justice Tijani Abubakar, who delivered the lead judgment, emphasized that the flawed process submitted by the appellants could not serve as a basis for invalidating Peter Mbah’s victory in the election.
This verdict marks a significant legal victory for Governor Mbah and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State.
Governor Peter Mbah secured his victory in the March 18 gubernatorial election with 160,895 votes, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party (LP) came in second place with 157,552 votes, while Frank Nweke of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) secured third place with 17,983 votes.
Uche Nnaji, the APC candidate, occupied the fourth position with 14,575 votes.
Dissatisfied with the election outcome, Uche Nnaji filed a petition challenging Governor Mbah’s eligibility, alleging that he had presented a forged certificate to INEC in order to qualify for the election.
Additionally, Nnaji claimed that Mbah had not been duly elected by a majority of the votes cast.
In a pivotal ruling on June 20, the Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal dismissed Nnaji’s suit, citing non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act of 2022 as grounds for the dismissal.
Undeterred, Uche Nnaji appealed the tribunal’s decision to the Court of Appeal in Enugu, seeking to overturn the ruling.
However, his appeal was also dismissed, solidifying Governor Peter Mbah’s position as the legitimate leader of Enugu State.
