Anxiety As Edo Election Tribunal Delivers Judgment Today On PDP’s Petition Against Okpebholo

There is anxiety in the air as the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, has scheduled today for the delivery of its judgment on the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenging the outcome of the September 21, 2024 gubernatorial election in the state.Naija News reports that the three-member tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, communicated the judgment date to the parties on Tuesday. The panel had earlier reserved its decision after all parties adopted their final briefs of argument on March 3.

PDP and Ighodalo are contesting the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the gubernatorial contest.The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo with a total of 291,667 votes, defeating his closest rival, Ighodalo, who secured 247,655 votes.Dissatisfied with the election outcome, the PDP and Ighodalo approached the tribunal, alleging that the election did not comply substantially with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.



The petition, marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, argues that Governor Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of lawful votes cast in the election.It also contends that INEC failed to properly serialize and pre-record sensitive materials used during the election, which the petitioners claim facilitated the rigging of the election in favor of the APC and its candidate.During the adoption of their final written address on Monday, the petitioners, led by their lawyer, Mr.

Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, alleged discrepancies in the results from 765 polling units in the state. They claimed that results were manipulated at the collation centers, citing instances where votes were inflated.“We concede that elections took place at the polling units, but my lords, for instance, how 25 votes metamorphosed to 525 votes at a particular collation centre, is what we are quarrelling with,” the petitioners’ counsel argued.

The petitioners urged the tribunal to nullify the Certificate of Return issued to Governor Okpebholo and declare Ighodalo as the rightful winner of the governorship election, claiming they had provided sufficient evidence to support their case.On the other hand, all the respondents in the matter, including INEC, Governor Okpebholo, and the APC, have requested the tribunal to dismiss the petition, arguing that it lacked merit. They claimed the petitioners failed to provide credible evidence to substantiate their claims of having won the election.

INEC’s lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, emphasized that the petitioners’ reliefs contradicted the case they presented to the tribunal. He pointed out that while the petitioners alleged non-compliance in the election, they still sought to be declared the winners.Dr.

Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, counsel to Governor Okpebholo, described the petition as an “academic exercise,” noting that the Supreme Court had earlier ruled that over-voting could not be proven without the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.Similarly, APC’s counsel, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, argued that the petitioners had failed to discharge the burden of proof required by law.

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