The Supreme Court has reserved till September 22 judgment in the multiple appeals against the victory of the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano.

The hearing of the appeals at the apex court lasted the whole day yesterday as the court battled to determine the appeals within 60 days allowed by the constitution.

After hearing all the appeals the court then adjourned till Monday for judgment.

At the apex court, the plaintiffs, Senator Chris Ngige of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chief Tony Nwoye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are contending that Obiano was not qualified to contest the governorship election, having allegedly submitted a forged document to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of his pre-qualification and also that Obiano was involved in multiple registration on the voters’ register.

On July 26, the five-man panel of justices at the Appeal Court sitting in Enugu led by Hon. Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba unanimously dismissed the four separate appeals brought before it by APC and its governorship candidate, Chris Ngige, PDP and its candidate Tony Nwoye and Dr. Chike Obidigbo of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for lack of merit.

In the November 16, 17 and 30 governorship election, Nwoye and Ngige, who came second and third respectively behind APGA’s Obiano, had proceeded to the Appeal Court after losing at the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal presided over by Justice Ishaq Bello.

The tribunal on June 4 in Awka upheld the victory of Obiano, declaring that he was validly elected and that the November governorship poll complied substantially with the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 Constitution.

At the appeal court, Ngige and Nwoye had called for the cancellation of the election and a fresh election conducted because of irregularities during the elect ion and the double registration by Obiano.

Obidigbo, who stood as an APGA governorship aspirant, wanted the appeal court to declare him the rightful candidate of the party after he emerged the candidate of a faction of the party. He also canvassed a cancellation of the election and the conduct of a fresh election.

Obiano has repeatedly extended the olive branch to the aggrieved rivals, urging them to join hands with him in moving Anambra forward but Ngige and Nwoye have rejected the gesture, vowing to fight to the end.

•Largely based on a THISDAY report. Photo shows Governor Obiano.

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