The Court of Appeal, sitting in Benin, yesterday, upheld the ruling of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal against the Action Democratic Party (ADP), and reaffirmed the victory of Governor Godwin Obaseki at the 2020 governorship election. Delivering the judgement in the case marked CA/B/EPT/GOV/01 & 1A/2021 Action Democratic Party & Anor v. INEC & 2Ors, the court held that Obaseki did not forge his certificates with which he contested the 2020 governorship election and dismissed the appeal filed by the ADP and its candidate. In another case marked /B/EPT/GOV/02/2021 Action Peoples Party (APP) Vs Godwin N. Obaseki & 2Ors., the Court unanimously upheld the Judgment of the Tribunal and dismissed the Appeal with costs assessed at N600,000 each, on two differe...
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Mr. Adolphus Aghughu, an indigene of Edo State, as the Auditor General of the Federation. He gave the commendation during a thanksgiving mass to mark the appointment of Aghughu as the Auditor General of the Federation, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Ewatto in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State. “I am going to thank President Buhari for considering merit above everything else. He has certain values that earned him the job; honesty, hard work and diligence. My advice is that he should continue to maintain these values. “I am very proud that we have produced the Auditor General of the Federation. This is the doing of the Lord because he has been applying for this position si...
Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), in Edo State, Col. David Imuse (Rtd) said Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government is unexplainably slow because of hidden conflict. Imuse alleged that at a time when the number of persons who test positive for the Coronavirus (Covid-19) is on the increase, Obaseki and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are busy fighting themselves. Imuse’s position was contained in a statement by the Assistant Publicity Secretary of the party, Victor Ofure Osehobo. He added that the alleged infighting is a confirmation that Obaseki has no plans for the state. According to the statement, the infighting over positions and booties of victory has already thrown the state into confusion, as the wheel of governance has since stoo...
The chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Col David Imuse (rtd), has said that the party would appeal Saturday’s judgement by the Federal High Court, Abuja, which dismissed the alleged certificate forgery suit filed against Governor Godwin Obaseki by the party. The presiding judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, had on Saturday dismissed the suit filed by the APC and a chieftain of the party, Williams Edobor, on the conclusion that the plaintiffs failed to prove their allegations of forgery against Governor Obaseki as it is expected in every criminal matter. “Allegation of forgery borders on crime which must be proved beyond reasonable doubt. In the instant case, no iota of evidence talk-less of a proof beyond reasonable doubt was bro...
The All Progressives Congress, APC, on Monday, closed the forgery case it instituted against Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, after it called a total of six witnesses and tendered 17 Exhibits. Lead counsel to the APC, Chief Akin Olujimi, SAN, announced decision of the party to rest its case, shortly after the court discharged the sixth witness, PW-6, Dr. Mikano Asekome, who is an Associate Professor in Banking and Finance Department at Benson Idahosa University, Benin city, Edo state. The PW-6 told the court that he was on December 23, 2020, summoned to appear as witness in the matter. The witness went ahead and tendered in evidence, the original copy of his certificate in Agricultural-Economics, which the University of Ibadan awarded to him on July 31, 1978. Under cross-examination, ...
Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Deputy Governor of the state, Rt. Hon Philip Shaibu has engaged in a war of words over a pre-election matter in the court as Shiabu alleged that the former National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole had recently said that the Supreme Court would give his party victory like the case of Imo state. But in a statement yesterday by the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Chris Azebanmwan, the allegation which he described as weighty was false and that Shaibu was engaging in a smear campaign against Oshiomhole. He said, “The statement which he credited to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is a blatant falsehood as no such words emanated from the elder statesman. It is a smear campaign that is aimed at tarnishing the pristine i...
Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu has urged a former Governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, not to subvert the will of the people and to jettison the plan to overturn the victory of Governor Godwin Obaseki at the September 2020 governorship election through the Judiciary. Shaibu during an empowerment programme for Afemai Youths in Ogbona and Jattu respectively at the weekend reaffirmed confidence in the judiciary and President Muhammadu Buhari to protect the nation’s democracy and the collective will of Edo people. The Deputy Governor said that Oshiomhole was instrumental to the Supreme Court victory of Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and alleged he is ready to do the same to upturn the popular victory of Obaseki in Edo State. He said, “The Nigeria Jud...
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the result of the September 19 governorship election in Edo State. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier announced the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Governor Godwin Obaseki as the winner of the election after securing 307, 955 votes, while the Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress polled 223,619. But the APC has alleged a foul lay in the election, saying some of the figures announced were fabricated. While rejecting the results of the election, the Chairman of the APC Media Campaign Council, John Mayaki, alleged “strong-arm tactics”. In a terse statement in which he urged supporters of the party to stay calm while the party leaders determine the next move, Mayaki said, some members o...
Rumble in Edo as governor runs government without cabinet
Precisely 129 days into his second tenure as governor of Edo State after his election on September 20, 2020 and inauguration on November 12, 2020, Godwin Obaseki, has not formed his cabinet. This has generated some flaks from different quarters, including the opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), constitutional lawyers, political analysts, public commentators, residents among others. While others feel that Obaseki has not committed any crime or breached any law, others believe that he is running a one-man administration and must go ahead to form his cabinet. They argued that going by Section 192 of the 1999 Constitution, the governor is obliged to form a cabinet, saying this is a circumvention, which the state House of Assembly should take action on. Obaseki had said that his ...