Edo Election Tribunal To Deliver Verdict On PDP’s Petition Against APC Victory.
The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal is set to deliver its judgment on Wednesday in the case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenging the outcome of the 21 September 2024 governorship election.
The petition seeks to overturn the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the poll. The petitioners claim the election was marred by irregularities and have asked the tribunal to nullify Okpebholo’s victory.
The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, had reserved judgment on **3 March** after parties involved in the case adopted their final written addresses. The judgment will be delivered on three petitions, identified as EPT/ED/GOV/01/2024, EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, and EPT/ED/GOV/03/2024.
During the proceedings, the tribunal admitted 148 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines as evidence, following a request by the petitioners. The machines, presented by a senior technical officer from the Independent National Electoral Commission, were used in 133 polling units where the election results are being disputed.
INEC had declared Okpebholo the winner with 291,667 votes, ahead of Ighodalo, who secured 247,655 votes. However, the PDP and its candidate argue that the election did not comply with the Electoral Act 2022 and should be declared invalid.
On the other hand, the APC and Okpebholo have urged the tribunal to dismiss the case, stating that the allegations lack merit and have not been substantiated.
The tribunal’s verdict is expected to have significant implications for the state’s political landscape, as both parties await the final decision on the disputed election.
