The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in Nigeria, pointing out deficiencies and inconsistencies in the Enugu Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s recent judgment that upheld Mr Peter Mbah as the winner of the governorship election in Enugu.
In a critical assessment of the tribunal’s decision, HURIWA expressed dismay at the disparity between the Enugu governorship case and recent election annulments by the Nasarawa Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Enugu House of Assembly Tribunal.
Addressing journalists Tuesday in Abuja, the national coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said, while the latter cases were annulled due to alleged irregularities, the Enugu governorship tribunal’s ruling has led to accusations of undue influence and compromised proceedings.
One of the major concerns raised by HURIWA is the unresolved issue of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate presented by Peter Mbah, the incumbent governor.
Chijioke Edeoga, the Labour Party candidate, accused Mbah of submitting a forged NYSC certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but the tribunal’s ruling did not conclusively address the authenticity of the certificate.
Providing some context, HURIWA recalled that INEC initially declared Mr. Mbah winner of the governorship election in Enugu. Still, Mr. Edeoga challenged the results, alleging that Mbah presented a forged NYSC certificate to INEC as well as irregularities, including over-voting and the non-use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in Nkanu East local government area, Mr. Mbah’s hometown.
Additionally, HURIWA observed that the Enugu governorship case stands in contrast to the Nasarawa governorship and Enugu national and state assembly cases, where similar issues of over-voting and irregularities led to different outcomes.