Ighodalo vs Okpebholo: Edo Tribunal Betrayed Trust Of Nigerians – PDP

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has maintained that its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, won the 2024 Edo State governorship election.

This is as the party rejected the verdict of the Edo governorship tribunal, which upheld the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP, in a statement on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the verdict of the tribunal is a violation of judicial impartiality and a betrayal of the trust of Nigerians in the judiciary.

The PDP said it came to the conclusion after a thorough review of the tribunal’s verdict.

The statement added that despite the verdict, the PDP and its candidate are proceeding to the Appeal Court and believe the higher court would deliver justice.

“The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after a thorough review of the judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal asserts that the verdict is an absolute miscarriage of justice and a complete betrayal of the trust Nigerians, particularly the people of Edo State invested in the Election Tribunal.

“The PDP insists that with the avalanche of evidence as properly presented and also duly admitted by the Tribunal, it was clear that its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo won the September 21, 2024 Edo State Governorship election, having scored the highest number of valid votes cast in the election.

“It is very disturbing that despite the overwhelming evidence and findings by the Tribunal that the PDP was robbed of its clear victory at the election through manipulations including wrongful allocation of votes to the All Progressives Congress (APC), arbitrary and illegal cancellation of valid votes won by the PDP, the Election Tribunal contradicted itself by coming to a conclusion that is at variance with its own findings.

“More distressing is that this judgment by the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal constitutes a major threat to the confidence Nigerians have in democracy and adjudication of electoral matters.

“It is instructive to note that democracy can only thrive in an atmosphere of adherence to the Rule of Law and adjudication of issues which can only be accepted by the people when indeed a tribunal of such nature impartially apply the law, the facts and body of evidence made available to it at proceedings

“However, consistent with PDP’s avowed belief in the capacity of the judiciary to, in appropriate cases, ensure that justice is done, our Party and candidate Dr. Asue Ighodalo are proceeding to the Court of Appeal where we believe that there will be a conscientious judicial review of the matter to give justice to the people of Edo State.

“In the meantime, the PDP calls on the people of Edo State to remain resolute and not allow the verdict of the Election Tribunal to dampen their confidence in the institution of the Judiciary and democracy in Nigeria as they await the restoration of the mandate they freely gave to our Party and candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo at the election,” the statement read.