IZE-IYAMU ACCEPTANCE OF DEFEAT IN THE CONCLUDED EDO STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION IS WITH DOUBT
October 6, 2020 | News
With reports that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Edo September 19, 2020 poll, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has declared he will not contest his defeat in Tribunal/Courts despite faulting the outcome
IZE-IYAMU ACCEPTANCE OF DEFEAT IN THE CONCLUDED EDO STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION IS WITH DOUBT
With reports that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Edo September 19, 2020 poll, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has declared he will not contest his defeat in Tribunal/Courts despite faulting the outcome, is to me more of a Greek gift he also said that he would however continue to pursue two pre-election cases challenging Governor Godwin Obaseki’s eligibility to contest the poll, just as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its flagbearers have continued to pursue several pre-election suits in various courts against them, all totaling 13.
While Ize-Iyamu, in a statement he personally signed on Monday (5/10/20), also noted that the said election was neither free nor fair contrary to reports, alleging there “were several episodes of violence, voter intimidation and falsification of results,” but that the decision not to contest the outcome was borne out of the desire not to further heat tension in the state.
In my own layman opinion however, I believe his pursuance of the stated pre-election matters puts in doubt his acceptance of defeat. This is because, to me, it is difficult to win election matters than pre-election matters. Pre-elections matters can easily be won by the opponents. The recent sack of the Bayelsa Stare governor-elect was a pre-election matter. In other words, the court may declare a governorship candidate a winner in Pre-election matter without contesting the election matter. The present Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi of River State, was actually declared winner by the Supreme Court of Nigeria through pre-election matters. Amaechi did not contest any governorship election matter then with other party candidates but was declared winner as governor of River State. Recall that Mr. Celestine Omehia was removed from office as Governor of Rivers State in October 2007 after holding office for five months. The Supreme Court at the time ruled that he had usurped Mr. Amaechi’s ticket for the election, and accordingly handed Mr. Amaechi the top job.
Again, in my humble view, it will be undemocratic for opponents of elections not to contest elections that are perceived not to be free and fair by them. The reason for setting up Election Tribunals is to address the grievances of the outcome of elections. The Tribunals are not for decorations. And secondly, pre-election matters are as important as the real elections because they are meant to address eligibility of candidates of political parties since there are guidelines set out by INEC in this regard.
Succinctly, all is not well yet as regards the final outcome of the Edo State recent Governorship election. Hence, I feel there are still doubts in the reported acceptance of defeat by Ize-Iyamu on the concluded election of the Edo state, which is not to be contested in the tribunal/courts. According to Lawyers "The law is an Ass". Make we wait and see o!
Zik Gbemre.
October 6, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
With reports that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Edo September 19, 2020 poll, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has declared he will not contest his defeat in Tribunal/Courts despite faulting the outcome, is to me more of a Greek gift he also said that he would however continue to pursue two pre-election cases challenging Governor Godwin Obaseki’s eligibility to contest the poll, just as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its flagbearers have continued to pursue several pre-election suits in various courts against them, all totaling 13.
While Ize-Iyamu, in a statement he personally signed on Monday (5/10/20), also noted that the said election was neither free nor fair contrary to reports, alleging there “were several episodes of violence, voter intimidation and falsification of results,” but that the decision not to contest the outcome was borne out of the desire not to further heat tension in the state.
In my own layman opinion however, I believe his pursuance of the stated pre-election matters puts in doubt his acceptance of defeat. This is because, to me, it is difficult to win election matters than pre-election matters. Pre-elections matters can easily be won by the opponents. The recent sack of the Bayelsa Stare governor-elect was a pre-election matter. In other words, the court may declare a governorship candidate a winner in Pre-election matter without contesting the election matter. The present Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi of River State, was actually declared winner by the Supreme Court of Nigeria through pre-election matters. Amaechi did not contest any governorship election matter then with other party candidates but was declared winner as governor of River State. Recall that Mr. Celestine Omehia was removed from office as Governor of Rivers State in October 2007 after holding office for five months. The Supreme Court at the time ruled that he had usurped Mr. Amaechi’s ticket for the election, and accordingly handed Mr. Amaechi the top job.
Again, in my humble view, it will be undemocratic for opponents of elections not to contest elections that are perceived not to be free and fair by them. The reason for setting up Election Tribunals is to address the grievances of the outcome of elections. The Tribunals are not for decorations. And secondly, pre-election matters are as important as the real elections because they are meant to address eligibility of candidates of political parties since there are guidelines set out by INEC in this regard.
Succinctly, all is not well yet as regards the final outcome of the Edo State recent Governorship election. Hence, I feel there are still doubts in the reported acceptance of defeat by Ize-Iyamu on the concluded election of the Edo state, which is not to be contested in the tribunal/courts. According to Lawyers "The law is an Ass". Make we wait and see o!
Zik Gbemre.
October 6, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes