THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has rejected the appeal lodged by the Peoples Democratic Party and their gubernatorial candidate, Samuel Anyawu, contesting the decision made by the Imo State tribunal, which upheld Hope Uzodinma as the legitimate governor of the state.
According to the court, the appeal lacked merit after addressing all the issues raised against the appellants in the case.
In the same light, the appellate court dismissed the appeals brought by the Labour Party and its candidate, Achonu Nneji, as well as the Allied Peoples Movement, on the grounds of lacking merit.
The appellants, discontented with the tribunal’s ruling, had sought the intervention of the court of appeal citing discrepancies with the November 11, 2023 election, claiming it was invalid due to Electoral Act violations.
Additionally, the appellants contested Uzodimma’s eligibility by alleging that his WAEC Education certificate was forged.
In the verdict, the court of appeal stated that the appellants did not substantiate the claim of non-compliance as alleged.
The panel of three judges led by Justice Bitrus Sanga also determined that the appellants were unable to prove the accusation that the governor presented a counterfeit certificate during the proceedings.