The Court of Appeal in Benin, on Monday, set aside the judgment of the Edo High Court which disqualified the candidature of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and his running mate, Alhaji Gani Audu, in the September 19, 2020 election in Edo State.
The Edo High Court, presided by Courage Ogbebor, had on January 6, 2021, held that Audu, the APC deputy governorship candidate was not qualified to contest the election as a result of discrepancies in the names in his documents that he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Form EC9.
The case in Suit No B/358/2020 was brought against Mr. Audu by the plaintiff, Sunday Kadiri, from Ogbona ward, in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.
However, The three-member panel of the Appeal Court set aside the judgment.
Justices O.F.Omoleye, B.A. Georgewill and O.E.Oho unanimously declared that there was no evidence of credentials’ forgery on the part of Audu.
The Judges also declared that the suit was statute-barred since it was filed outside the 14-day constitutional threshold, thereby upholding the appeal of Ize-Iyamu and Audu.