The Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja has upheld the election of Monday Okpebholo as the legitimate winner of the Edo State governorship election. The Tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenging the outcome of the September 21, 2024, election.
A three-member panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, ruled unanimously that the petitioners failed to provide competent evidence to support their claims of non-compliance with the Electoral Act. Justice Kpochi emphasized that for such allegations to be considered valid, there must be clear and convincing proof, which the PDP failed to establish.
In the lead judgment, Justice Kpochi stated that the failure of the petitioners to produce critical witnesses such as polling unit officers, presiding officers, or even voters significantly undermined their case. He further noted that most of the 19 witnesses called by the PDP merely provided hearsay evidence, which the Tribunal deemed insufficient.
The Tribunal also criticized the PDP’s reliance on Section 137 of the Electoral Act, which allowed them to tender documents without adequately proving their authenticity. According to the Tribunal, it was not their responsibility to scrutinize the documents submitted by the petitioners.
Additionally, the Tribunal ruled that the BVAS machines submitted by the PDP as evidence remained dormant and could not be used for determining the outcome of the case. It emphasized that it was not within the Tribunal’s remit to analyze the data contained in these machines.
In its ruling, the Tribunal reiterated that to substantiate claims of overvoting, the petitioners would need to provide key electoral documents, including the voters’ register, polling unit results (Forms EC8A), and BVAS data. Without such documentation, the Tribunal found the PDP’s case lacking in merit.
As a result, the Tribunal dismissed the petition filed by Ighodalo and the PDP, affirming the victory of Senator Okpebholo, who was declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the election with 291,667 votes. Ighodalo, the PDP candidate, had secured 247,655 votes. The PDP had contested the results from 765 out of the 4,519 polling units in Edo State, alleging non-compliance with the Electoral Act, improper vote counting by INEC, and overvoting.
With the Tribunal’s ruling, Okpebholo’s victory stands firm, marking the end of the legal challenge to his election as Edo State governor.
