Thursday, 27 May 2021: The Court of Appeal, sitting in Benin Wednesday evening upheld the verdict of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal against the Action Democratic Party. (ADP), and affirmed Governor Godwin Obaseki’s victory in the 2020 governorship poll.

This followed two months after the tribunal struck out the ADP and its candidate, Iboi Lucky’s petition, challenging the outcome of the September 19, 2020 governorship election, which returned Godwin Obaseki of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) as governor.

Delivering the judgment in the case marked: CA/B/EPT/GOV/01 & 1A/2021 Action Democratic Party & Anor v. INEC & 2O others, it ruled that Obaseki did not forge the certificates with which he contested the 2020 governorship election and dismissed the appeal.

In another case marked: /B/EPT/GOV/02/2021 Action Peoples Party (APP) v. Godwin N. Obaseki & 2O others, the court upheld the judgment of the tribunal, dismissed the appeal and awarded N600, 000 each on two counts, saying the governor won all charges in the appeal.

Delivering the judgment in favour of Obaseki, Justice M. A. Owoade, dismissed the main appeal, preliminary objection and cross appeal.

He said the inclusion of All Progressives Congress, (APC), and its candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, as respondents in the petition, was a ploy to fight his (Ize-Iyamu’s) case through another petitioner, describing it as an attempt to ‘squeeze the rock for water.’