President Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Menem has set up an election petition tribunal for the Edo state governorship election matters, a statement on Tuesday by the tribunal’s secretary, Sunday Martins said.
This is as the governor-elect, Mr Godwin Obaseki Tuesday offered an olive branch, calling on the former national chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to join him in building the state.
Obaseki made the call while receiving his Certificate of Return (CoR) issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Tribunal secretary Martins while announcing the inauguration of the panel said, “The general public is hereby put on notice that the Honourable President of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria, Hon. Justice M. B Dongban Mensem has established the election petition tribunal secretariat and accordingly constituted a panel in respect of the governorship election conducted in Edo state.”
“The Honourable Chief Judge of the State Hon. Justice E. A. Edigin has graciously approved the use of High Court Complex (Election Petition Court Hall) Sapele Road, Benin City for the tribunal exercise.
“The secretariat is now open,” the statement read.
Governorship candidate of the APC, Pastor Ize-Iyamu had said he would consult his party for the next line of action, after losing to his PDP contender, Governor Obaseki at the last Saturday poll.
Speaking at the brief ceremony in Benin City, Obaseki said: “I want to use this occasion to call on the former national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, that the fight is over.”
“He should come and join in building the House where he was part of laying the foundation. We have no malice; the only thing we disagreed on is on the approach in moving Edo forward.”
The governor also expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari “for rising above partisan politics by allowing the will of the people to prevail”.
According to him, “Buhari would be remembered as father of democracy because he had a choice to make sure his party wins in the state but insisted the right thing be done.”
The certificate was presented to the governor and his running mate, Philip Shaibu, by Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, INEC National Commissioner, coordinating Edo, Rivers and Bayelsa states.
Obaseki who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, polled a total of 307,955 to defeat his closest challenger, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 223, 619 votes.
