Breaking: Edo Tribunal Strikes Out AP’s Petition Seeking Nullification of Okpebholo’s Mandate

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The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, threw out the petition of the Accord Party (AP) and its candidate in the September 21, 2024, gubernatorial election in the state, Dr. Bright Enabulele, against the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All-Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel of the tribunal led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, also turned down the petitioners’ prayer to order INEC to conduct a fresh governorship poll in Edo State.

The tribunal held that the prayer, which was contained in a petition that was brought before it by the Accord Party, AP, and its gubernatorial candidate, could not be granted as the petitioners failed to discharge the burden of proof placed on them by the law.

The tribunal had in a similar judgement earlier on Wednesday dismissed the petition brought before it by the Action Alliance and its national chairman, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje,
for being frivolous and lacking in merit.

While striking out the petition by the AP for being incompetent, the panel noted that whereas the petitioners alleged that the governorship election held in the state on September 21, 2024, was invalid by reason of corrupt practices and non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, they, however, failed to adduce any credible evidence to establish the allegation.

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 averments in the petition as “vague”, the tribunal held that allegations against Governor Okpebholo’s victory were not substantiated.

The tribunal said it found merit in all the preliminary objections that were filed to challenge the competence of the petition.

It will be recalled that while the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Okpebholo of the APC winner with 291, 667 votes, its closest rival, Dr. Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, scored 247, 655 votes, while the petitioner scored 252 votes.

Rejecting the result, AP and its candidate approached the tribunal, contending that the election was fraught with manifest irregularities citing multiple thumb printing, 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.