The Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, Edo State, on Wednesday upheld the victory of Governor Godwin Obaseki in last year’s governorship election in the state.

The judgment was delivered just two months after the state’s Elections Petitions Tribunal dismissed the petition by the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and its governorship candidate, Iboi Lucky.

The party had challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaration of Obaseki as the winner of the September 19, 2020 election in the state.

The court, held that the governor did not forge the certificates submitted to INEC for the election and dismissed the appeal filed by the ADP and its candidate.

The governor won all eight issues for determination in the appeal.

Justice M. A. Owoade, who delivered the lead judgment, dismissed the main appeal, the preliminary objection and the cross-appeal.

He noted that the inclusion of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, as respondents in the petition, was a ploy by the APC candidate to fight his case through another petitioner.

He described the action as a case of “squeezing the rock for water.”