BREAKING: Tribunal dismisses PDP, Asue Ighodalo’s petition against Edo Governor, Monday Okpebholo’s election 

Justice Wilfred Kpochi of the Tribunal’s three-man panel passed its verdict in a unanimous judgement, stressing that the petitioners failed to prove its allegations of over voting and electoral non-compliance.

Recall that the PDP and Ighodalo had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the governor and others, for declaring Sen. Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the poll, alleging that the election was marred by irregularities.

Naijaonpoint previously reported that Senator Monday Okpebholo and Dennis Idahosa were sworn in as the governor and deputy governor of Edo State on November 12, 2024.

“That Monday Okpebholo of the APC, having satisfied all the requirements of the law and scored the majority of the lawful votes, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Mr. Kuta had declared.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the poll, the PDP and its candidate approached the Tribunal for redress , insisting that the governor did not win with the majority of lawful votes cast.

But the legal team of the APC and Okpebholo urged the tribunal to dismiss the petitions for being baseless and lacking in merit.

They argued that the petitioners had failed to substantiate the allegations of “invalid” poll in their petitions.

Ruling on the PDP and its candidate’s  petition,  Justice Wilfred Kpochi, held that it is the duty of a petitioner to prove its electoral malpractice allegations against INEC, and not the other way round.

“These witnesses( presented by the petitioners comprising Local Government agents and others) are total strangers,” the judge stressed.

“The failure of the petitioners( PDP and Ighodalo) in this case to call polling unit agents and registered voters is fatal to their case,” the judge said, highlighting that eyewitness accounts were required to prove electoral non-compliance.

The Tribunal earlier dismissed and struck out the petitions filed by the Action Alliance (AA) and Accord Party against the Edo governorship poll for want of jurisdiction and for being vague.