A bid by the Accord Party (AP) and its gubernatorial candidate to unseat Governor Monday Okpebholo has hit a brick wall, as the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, has declined to nullify the election of Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The tribunal dismissed a petition brought by the AP and its gubernatorial candidate.
In a unanimous decision delivered on Wednesday, a three-member panel led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi also refused to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh governorship poll in Edo state. The tribunal ruled that the petitioners “failed to discharge the burden of proof placed on them by the law.”
“While striking out the petition for being incompetent, the panel noted that although the petitioners alleged the governorship election held on September 21, 2024, was invalid due to corrupt practices and non-compliance with the Electoral Act, they “failed to adduce any credible evidence to establish the allegation.”
The tribunal criticized the petitioners for making “general and sweeping allegations” without providing specific details. According to the tribunal, “while the petitioners made ‘general and sweeping allegations’ against the outcome of the election, they failed to bring particulars of exact polling units or wards where the alleged widespread rigging and non-compliance occurred.
Describing some of the claims as “vague,” the tribunal held that the allegations against Governor Okpebholo’s victory were “not substantiated.” The panel found merit in the preliminary objections filed by the respondents, challenging the petition’s competence.
It is recalled that INEC declared Okpebholo the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo, who received 247,655 votes. The AP candidate garnered 252 votes.
Dissatisfied with the results, the AP and its candidate filed a petition, alleging “manifest irregularities” including “multiple thumbprinting, violence, intimidation and harassment of voters, as well as alleged failure to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, machines in various polling units in the state.” However, the Justice Kpochi-led panel concluded that “the petition did not disclose any reasonable cause of action.”
The tribunal had previously dismissed a separate petition filed by the Action Alliance (AA) seeking to nullify Governor Okpebholo’s election. With these two cases resolved, the tribunal is now set to adjudicate the joint petition filed by the PDP and its candidate, Ighodalo, seeking to be declared the rightful winners of the contested governorship election.
© Ripples Nigeria