In a recent ruling, the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja confirmed the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo from the All Progressives Congress (APC) as valid.
A unanimous decision by a three-member panel found no grounds to overturn the results of the gubernatorial election held on September 21, 2024. Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the tribunal’s chairman, delivered the lead judgment, dismissing the allegations brought forth by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo, who contested the election outcome.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had reported that Okpebholo received 291,667 votes, significantly outpacing Ighodalo, who garnered 247,655 votes.
The PDP and Ighodalo expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling and asserted that the election was conducted with substantial noncompliance to the Electoral Act, leading to their legal challenge.
They claimed irregularities in the vote counts from numerous polling units and failures related to the management of sensitive materials during the election process.
However, the tribunal found that the petitioners did not provide sufficient credible evidence to support their claims. It stated that the burden of proof lay with the petitioners, and they failed to establish a compelling case against the election results.
The tribunal also ruled against additional petitions from the Action Alliance and Accord Party, citing a lack of merit and jurisdiction on pre-election matters.
Following the ruling, Governor Okpebholo extended an olive branch to Ighodalo, calling for unity and cooperation to advance Edo State’s development.
