Following the petition filed by the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and its governorship candidate, Iboi Emmanuel; Action Peoples Party (APP); the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Tracy Agol of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) against the candidacy of Governor Obaseki and his Deputy, Shiabu in Edo governorship election last year, a three man panel at the governorship election petition tribunal in Benin, headed by Justice Yunusa Musa has cleared Governor and his Deputy as credible candidates for the election.
The tribunal held there was no evidence that Obaseki forged his UI certificate nor was he guilty of double nomination by the APC and PDP.
One of the petitioners, from the ADP prayed the tribunal disqualify Obaseki over his University of Ibadan (UI) certificate and to nullify the votes cast for him.
The four petitioners also urged the tribunal to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election involving all other qualified governorship candidates, excluding Obaseki and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
However, the tribunal held there was no evidence of certificate racketeering against Obaseki’s UI certificate nor was he guilty of double nomination by the APC and PDP.
Tribunal unanimously declared that ADP, its governorship candidate, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and candidate Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu failed to prove their allegations.
