The Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja has upheld the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the Governor of Edo State. A three-member panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, rejected the petition submitted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, contesting the results of the governorship election held on September 21, 2024.
In its ruling, the panel determined that the petitioners did not present competent witnesses to substantiate their claims of non-compliance with the Electoral Act. Justice Kpochi, who delivered the lead judgment, emphasized that allegations of non-compliance must be convincingly demonstrated. The Tribunal noted that the petitioners’ failure to summon polling unit officers, presiding officers, or even voters during the election significantly undermined their case.
The Tribunal criticized the 19 witnesses presented by the PDP, stating that their testimonies were largely based on hearsay. Justice Kpochi also pointed out the PDP’s inappropriate reliance on Section 137 of the Electoral Act, which led to the submission of documents that the Tribunal was not obligated to examine.
Furthermore, the Tribunal remarked that the BVAS machines submitted by the petitioners were inactive, reiterating that it was not within its purview to analyze the data contained in those machines.
In a unanimous decision, the Tribunal reiterated that to substantiate claims of overvoting, as alleged by Ighodalo and the PDP, it was essential to provide the voters’ register, BVAS machines, and polling unit results or Forms EC8A. Consequently, the Tribunal dismissed Asue Ighodalo’s petition for lack of merit.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously announced that Okpebholo of the APC received 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who garnered 247,655 votes. The PDP sought to challenge the results from 765 out of the 4,519 polling units in Edo State.
The PDP candidate criticized the election results, citing violations of the Electoral Act and Monday Okphebholo’s inability to obtain a majority of the valid votes cast. In this context, the PDP governorship candidate accused INEC of incorrectly tallying the votes, failing to serialize electoral materials, and allowing overvoting.
