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By Kadiri Christopher 

LP Candidates addressing the press over the activities of the Edo LGA election petitions tribunal

The candidates of the Labour Party, LP, in the September 2nd, 2023 Local Government polls have recently informed members of the public about some suspicious activities of the Edo Local Government Election Petitions Tribunal.

Addressing newsmen in Benin City, Hon Kennedy Oriakhi who was the candidate of the party in Egor Local Government Area said, "we contested the outcome of the election and the tribunal didn't favour us. We are asking the tribunal to release a Certified True Copy, CTC, of the judgment so we can forge ahead.

"The tribunal is withholding the CTC in order for us not to proceed to the Appeal Court. They are holding the CTC from us because they want the window period for appeal to close so that when we later file an appeal, it will be disqualified due to out-of-time filings.

"We are not asking for much. We are asking for either the CTC or a document that will be able to pass our appeal at the Appeal Court", he said.

In his part, Hon Dr Mashido Eghaghe who was the party's candidate for Ikpoba-Okha Local Government said, "we all filed our election petitions individually, we are wondering why the tribunal wants to release a unified proceedings.

"We all filed differently, stating reasons we should be declared winners of the elections. But what got from the judgment was similar. Similar judgment to different petitions? This is strange indeed", he said.

Other candidates who joined their voices were Hon ESV Comrade Oshobor Joachin Joseph, the party's candidate Etsako East and Hon Onaghise Daniel Ero, the party's candidate for Oredo.

The candidates all requested that the tribunal made available the CTC within the shortest possible time.

Responding, the Secretary, Edo State Local Government Election Petition Tribunal, Emmanuel Uwagboe, said that their claim was not true.

He said, "we are working effortlessly to ensure the document is out by the coming week and will be made available to them so they can pursue their cases".