Analysis… EDO: Is Ize-Iyamu fighting a lost battle?

Dateline: January 10, 2017, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Edo September 28, 2016 governorship election opened his case at the state Election Petition Tribunal.

Ize-Iyamu, with his party, are challenging the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) for declaring Godwin Obaseki of All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the governorship election.

According to INEC, Obaseki emerged winner after he pulled more than 319,483 votes to defeat Mr. Ize-Iyamu, his closest rival, who scored over 250,000 votes, a result the PDP candidate says is greatly influenced by rigging, and votes buying.

Getting some of the defendants before the Justice Ahmed Badamasi-led three-member tribunal sitting in Benin, was not an easy task for the petitioners, as stories abounded of how the Tribunal summons had to be served by hanging them on gates and fences, as the known offices and homes of the defendants had been abandoned.

So far, it has been a herculean task for Ize-Iyamu and his party, as they have no doubt expended resources, financial and otherwise to prove their case. A lot of witnesses have been called to testify, and a truckload of electoral materials inspected.

Early in the week, after close to three months of legal battle, parties in the case adopted their final written addresses, and Justice Badamasi, who expressed satisfaction with the conduct of counsel, said that the date for the judgment will be communicated to them.

According to Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s prayers, he is asking the tribunal to declare him winner of the election and wants INEC, to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Mr Obaseki.

So, if he has been able to prove his petition beyond reasonable doubt, he may just emerge the next governor of Edo State. However, a victory for him, at the Tribunal may not necessarily mean he has won the war.

In fact, the battles of Ize-Iyamu may have only just begun if he does win at the Tribunal, as the crisis in his party may throw up another round of contest as to who is the owner of the votes he secured at the election.

Read also: EDO GUBER TUSSLE: Appeal Court reserves judgement on Ize-Iyamu versus Obaseki indefinitely

The PDP has been embroiled in a leadership crisis that split the party into two factions, as at the time Ize-Iyamu contested the Edo governorship election. In fact there was also a crisis as to which faction should present the candidate for the party.

The faction of the party led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, chairman of the National Caretaker Committee nominated Ize-Iyamu. But another faction led by national chairman of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff nominated Matthew Iduoriyekwemwen.

As things presently stand, Sen Sheriff is the authentic national chairman of the party. On February 17, 2017, an Appeal court sitting in Port-Harcourt ruled that Sen. Sheriff is the legitimate chairman of the Party. A three-man panel of justices delivered the judgment.

The judgement, read by two of the three judges on the appeal panel, set aside the judgement by the High Court in favour of Sheriff.

The lead Judge, B. A. Sanga, in his judgement said that due process was not followed in the decision by the PDP convention to dissolve the Sherrif led chairmanship and hence should be disregarded.

Unsatisfied with the judgement, the Makarfi faction has appealed to the Supreme Court. The apex court is yet to fix a date to rule on the appeal. A number of organs in the party are earnestly waiting for that ruling to know the next step for the party.

So, how will Ize-Iyamu know peace if he wins at the Tribunal?

If the Supreme Court rules in favour of the Makarfi faction of the party, and Ize-Iyamu wins at the Tribunal, then history will be rewritten, as he would become the next governor of the state.

But if the apex court rules in favour of Sheriff, and he wins at the Tribunal, he may have to contend with Iduoriyekwemwen, who may come after him to claim the PDP votes in the September 28, 2016 governorship election in the state.

From previous petitions and judicial proclamations, the courts have previously ruled that the vote in any election belongs to the party, and not the individual per say, hence Iduoriyekwemwen may be tempted to claim the party’s vote.

The Edo governorship election is likely to still throw up a number of political intrigues in the coming days, which are likely to reverberate in Nigeria’s political space for some time to come.

However, given the interest shown by the government at the center to add Edo State to the list of APC states, and the forces, as well as intrigues, that played out during the buildup, and the election proper, the above permutations may turn out to be another political chess game that never played out.

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Click here to download the Ripples Nigeria App for latest updates

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now