The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has upheld the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
The tribunal, in a unanimous decision, rejected the petition filed by Asue Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), affirming the validity of the election results.
The judgment, delivered by the tribunal’s Chairman, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, on Wednesday evening in Abuja, decisively dismissed the allegations brought forward by the petitioners. According to the tribunal, Ighodalo and the PDP failed to substantiate claims of over-voting and other electoral malpractices, as they did not present sufficient evidence or witnesses to support their accusations.
One of the key findings was that the petitioners had not provided the necessary documentation required by law to prove their case. Justice Kpochi pointed out that to substantiate allegations of over-voting, Ighodalo and the PDP were expected to submit the voters’ register, BVAS (Biometric Voter Accreditation System) data, and EC8A forms, but failed to do so. The tribunal also noted that no eye witnesses were called to testify regarding the alleged over-voting, rendering the claims “unbelievable.”
Furthermore, the tribunal emphasized that the petitioners had presented documents without addressing them or explaining their relevance to the case, dismissing them as mere “dumping” of evidence without due explanation.
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In the original election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who received 247,655 votes. Despite this official declaration, Ighodalo and the PDP had challenged the result, accusing INEC of irregularities and violations of electoral laws. They argued that the election should be annulled due to alleged over-voting and errors in the collation process.
Their legal team, led by senior advocate Mr. Ken Mozia, SAN, argued that electoral malpractices had occurred in 765 out of the 4,519 polling units across the state. Mozia contended that these irregularities, including discrepancies in result figures at various collation stages, should be evaluated not just by the number of affected polling units but by their impact on the overall election outcome.
The tribunal, however, found that the petitioners’ case lacked sufficient merit, ultimately affirming Okpebholo’s victory and ruling in favor of the APC.
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