Court Rules On Case Seeking To Disqualify Obaseki As Edo Governor

The election petitions tribunal in Edo State will on Monday rule on the remaining petitions filed by the aggrieved candidates and parties that took part in the September 19, 2020 governorship election in the state.

Two of the petitions were filed by the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and its candidate, Iboi Emmanuel; and Tracy Agol of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Naija News understands that Agol did not include her party in the petition against Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The other two parties are the Action Peoples Party (APP) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), while their candidates, Amos Areloegbe and Igbineweka Osamuede, were not joined in their petitions.

The Justice Yunusa Musa-led tribunal had on December 11 dismissed a petition by the Action Alliance (AA) and its candidate, Ukonga Onaivi, against Obaseki, the PDP, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to file pre-hearing notice.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Zonal Chapter of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, on Sunday suspended its founder and former militant leader, Alhaji Asari Dokubo.

The suspension followed Dokubo’s declaration of “Biafra de facto Customary Government.”

Dokubo had in a statement he released through Uche Mefor to journalists in Warri on the declaration of a “Biafra de facto customary government” said the time has come for them to take their destinies in their hands, adding that the Igbo people have long suffered injustice and marginalization in Nigeria.

Apart from declaring himself the leader of the customary government, Dokubo also named Uche Mefor as the Head of Information and Communication of the customary government, George Onyibe as Secretary of the group, and Emeka Esiri as the officer in charge of its legal matters.

But on Sunday, Chairman of IYC Okrika Clan, Festus Dango moved the motion for the suspension of Dokubo at the zonal elective congress of the IYC.

Dango said Dokubo failed to consult before announcing his Biafra contraption, adding that the former militant leader has been trying to lure other IYC members to join his Biafra adventure.

Dango said Biafra is a “non-existent sovereign state within Ijaw territories.”

Also suspended were IYC members who joined Dokubo in the putative Biafra government.

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