The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja has affirmed the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo, dismissing petitions filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Accord Party (AP), and the Action Alliance (AA) challenging his victory.
Governor Okpebholo, in response to the ruling, extended an olive branch to his opponents, calling for unity in advancing Edo State. “It’s time to put aside partisan differences and focus on the common goal of building a better future for our state,” he said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who secured 247,655 votes. Dissatisfied with the outcome, the PDP and other petitioners alleged irregularities, including the wrongful computation of results and failure by INEC to properly document sensitive election materials.
In its judgment, the three-member tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, ruled that the petitioners failed to provide sufficient evidence to nullify the election. It held that allegations of electoral malpractice and over-voting were not substantiated, noting that the petitioners did not present competent witnesses or demonstrate their claims effectively.
The tribunal also rejected claims that the BVAS machines used in the election contained discrepancies, stating that none of the devices tendered in evidence was powered on to verify the allegations. Furthermore, it ruled that even if the contested votes were deducted, Okpebholo would still emerge victorious.
The petitions from the AP and AA were similarly dismissed for lack of credible evidence. The tribunal ruled that Adekunle Rufai Omoaje of the AA lacked the legal standing to challenge the election since he did not participate as a candidate.
Following the ruling, Ighodalo’s legal team vowed to appeal the judgment, insisting that the election was not conducted in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
