The Edo Election Petition Tribunal has delivered its ruling on our petition challenging the governorship election result

By Titilope Adako

The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the election tribunal’s judgment that upheld Governor Okpebholo’s victory, vowing to challenge the decision at the Appeal Court.

The tribunal, sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, dismissed the petitions filed by the PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, against the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election.

In a statement issued in Benin, the Chairman of the PDP Caretaker Committee, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, insisted that Ighodalo was duly elected by the majority of voters and that the party had presented sufficient evidence before the tribunal.

“The Edo Election Petition Tribunal has delivered its ruling on our petition challenging the governorship election result.

“While we hold the judiciary in high esteem and respect the judgment, we completely disagree with the tribunal’s decision.

“We firmly believe that our candidate won the election and that we adequately proved our case before the tribunal.

“On this conviction, we urge all our members to rise from this temporary setback as we proceed to the appellate court,” Aziegbemi stated.

He called on PDP supporters to remain hopeful, stressing that the party would explore all legal avenues to reclaim its mandate.

The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, ruled unanimously that the petitioners failed to substantiate their claims of over-voting and electoral irregularities.

The court held that the burden of proof lay with the petitioners, not the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

On allegations that votes cast exceeded the number of registered voters in some polling units, the tribunal noted that the petitioners failed to present polling unit agents or presiding officers as witnesses.

“The documents tendered by the petitioners were simply dumped before the tribunal without any competent witness to support their claims,” the judge ruled.

“The failure of the petitioners to call polling unit agents and registered voters is fatal to their case.”

The tribunal also faulted the PDP for submitting BVAS machines as evidence without presenting experts or competent witnesses to demonstrate the alleged over-voting.

Consequently, the tribunal dismissed the petition, affirming Governor Okpebholo’s election.

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