BY SIMON EBEGBULEM
BENIN—THE Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, yesterday, reserved
judgment in the appeal filed by Edo State People’s Democratic Party,
PDP, governorship candidate in the July 14 governorship election, Gen.
Charles Airhiavbere, challenging the qualification of Comrade Governor
Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, to contest the
election in the state.
It will be recalled that the petitioner had gone to the appellate
court after the lower tribunal declared that the issue of Oshiomhole’s
qualification was a pre-election matter.
The appellant, Gen. Airhiavbere, in his appeal, is seeking a
declaration that the issue of qualification was a matter which the
election petitions tribunal should assume jurisdiction, while the ACN
candidate, Governor Oshiomhole, filed a counter appeal seeking to quash
the remaining reliefs sought by the appellant at the Tribunal, on the
grounds that the issue of qualification had already been determined by
the tribunal.