Tribunal Upholds Okpebholo’s Election as Edo Governor, Dismisses PDP’s Petition

The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has affirmed the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 21, 2024, governorship poll.

Delivering its judgment in Abuja on Wednesday, the three-member tribunal dismissed the petition filed by Asue Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ruling that the election was conducted in accordance with the law.

The Chairman of the panel, Justice Wilfred Kpochi stated that the petitioners failed to substantiate their claims of over-voting and electoral irregularities. He noted that Ighodalo and the PDP merely presented documents without properly linking them to their allegations.

The tribunal emphasized that proving over-voting requires the presentation of the voter register, BVAS records, and Form EC8A, which the petitioners failed to tender as required by law. Additionally, no eyewitnesses were called to support the claims of electoral malpractice, further weakening their case.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo the winner of the election with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who secured 247,655 votes. Dissatisfied with the result, the PDP and its candidate had approached the tribunal, seeking to annul Okpebholo’s victory on the grounds of irregularities and non-compliance with electoral laws.

Their legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Ken Mozia, argued that electoral malpractices occurred in 765 of the 4,519 polling units across the state. They claimed discrepancies in vote tallies, asserting that figures on Form EC8A (polling unit results) had been altered during collation at the ward and local government levels (Form EC8B).

However, the tribunal ruled that the allegations were unproven and dismissed the petition, thereby upholding Okpebholo’s election as Edo governor.

Edo Tribunal Dismisses Accord Party’s Petition Against Okpebholo

The Tribunal in Abuja also dismissed the Accord Party’s petition challenging the victory of Monday Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress in the September 21, 2024 election.

The three-member tribunal ruled on Wednesday that the petition lacked merit and was not supported by facts.

It stated that the Accord Party and its candidate failed to prove their claims beyond a reasonable doubt.

The party had asked the tribunal to annul the election and order a fresh one, arguing that Okpebholo did not win the highest number of valid votes.

They also alleged electoral fraud, non-compliance with the Electoral Act, and irregularities like multiple thumb printing, violence and intimidation.

However, the tribunal found that the petitioners failed to provide evidence specifying the polling units or wards where these alleged issues occurred.

In a unanimous decision, the tribunal declared, “This petition is hereby struck out for incompetence and lack of jurisdiction.”