Former Chief Press Secretary to ex-Governor Godwin Obaseki, of Edo State, Mr. John Mayaki, has called on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporters of Governor Monday Okpebholo to ignore the jubilation in the camp of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the acceptance of their documents as exhibits. He stated that this acceptance does not confer any probative value to the case and, as such, will come to naught.
The tribunal today admitted into evidence all documents tendered by Edo PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, in support of his petition challenging INEC’s declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo as governor of Edo State.
In his reaction, Mayaki said there is nothing fascinating about accepting what he described as worthless documents, as they would not vitiate the mandate freely given to Governor Monday Okpebholo.
“We have seen several occasions where election petition tribunals accepted damaging documents from petitioners in the past, but they all ended in futility. There’s nothing exciting about it,” Mayaki said.
Mayaki particularly went down memory lane, mentioning the case of Peter Obi when he tendered a $460,000 forfeiture judgment against Tinubu at the presidential election petition tribunal, which ended in futility. The tribunal also accepted documents in evidence showing that the INEC server had no glitches on Election Day, but what was the result of all their shenanigans?
“And so, what happened? Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar failed at the tribunal and then went on to file 50 grounds of appeal against the tribunal’s judgment, yet again, they both labored in vain. I tell you, the PDP in Edo State will labor in vain”.
“Anybody can exhume documents from anywhere and haul them to the tribunal with a ‘Dangote truck,’ but it does not make any difference. All the documents presented by the PDP will have no probative value as far as I am concerned. They will simply labor in vain. Whoever alleges that the election was rigged has the onus of proof, which must be beyond reasonable doubt”, Mayaki said.
