By John Mayaki
Their so-called “mandate recovery” is fast becoming a farce, it has emerged. I remembered warning them last week – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and their disillusioned remnant members, that there’s no mandate to recover anywhere.
At least, the proceedings at the Elections Petition Tribunal sitting yesterday has proved me right – a petition in disarray is simply dead on arrival.
When you build a claim on quicksand, it simply cannot stand the test of scrutiny – it would certainly collapse.
We all can now witness how the PDP’a case was riddled with procedural blunders and legal contradictions – it seems to the world that the petition with which they relied upon to want to reclaim Senator Monday Okpebholo’s mandate lacks merit and also going to be an exercise in futility and self-sabotage.
When you see people shouting ‘mandate recovery’, simply tap them to wake up from their illusion – tell them that their claim is non -existent and that their display of incompetence at the tribunal attests to this claims.
We have seen their desperation as exposed by the counsel to the respondent who exposed their breaches of legal protocols – it was glaring, thankfully, the tribunal stopped them and ordered that all their documents be subjected to scrutiny rather than simply accepting them as exhibits.
What else would you call that? I mean the PDP’s attempt to flood the tribunal with unverified documents.
Someone told me “it amounts to contempt of court”. But another said “the act was so amateurish that only desperate people would attempt”.
Do we then wonder why these documents were outrightly rejected? Their authentication before consideration was necessary, the tribunal ruled. Requisite certification has been called to question here.
Here’s the man allegedly seeking justice but approaching justice with such disregard for due process.
Now we know, at least, we can see that they have no mandate to recover, after all. It’s a case of how not to approach electoral litigation – I mean the case marked: EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, filed by Mr. Asue Ighodalo against the rightful winner of the election, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
Someone said “it was an ill-fated attempt to hoodwink the tribunal”. Another one said, “it shows the predictable result of a case without substance”.
Whatever was the motive of the PDP, we can now see the result – their petition is now limping and on life support. But an insider told this reporter that “the case was brought dead on arrival”.
Again, let me remind the PDP that they have no viable case and as such, their labour will certainly be in vain – justice is not served by unverified claims and attempting to cut corners.
Justice is about facts, procedure, and merit. And in the absence of these, the PDP’s petition is Dead on Arrival.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mayaki was a spokesman of Asue Ighodalo campaign council in the 2023 governorship election. He lives in Edo State.
