The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has upheld the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo.
Delivering the lead judgment on Wednesday, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, who chaired the three-member tribunal, ruled that the petitioners failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify nullifying the September 21, 2024 election.
“The onus of proving that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with the law rests squarely on the petitioners,” the tribunal stated. “Unfortunately, the petitioners did not discharge this burden.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo the winner after polling 291,667 votes to defeat Ighodalo, who garnered 247,655 votes. Dissatisfied with the outcome, the PDP and its candidate approached the tribunal, alleging electoral malpractices, including wrong computation of results in 765 polling units, irregularities in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and manipulation at collation centers.
However, in its verdict, the tribunal dismissed the claims, ruling that “none of the BVAS machines tendered in evidence were demonstrated to show over-voting.” The panel also held that PDP’s reliance on screenshots instead of original BVAS data was insufficient to substantiate allegations of fraud.
While noting that the petitioners presented 19 witnesses and tendered 153 BVAS machines used in 133 polling units, the tribunal criticized the absence of polling unit agents, presiding officers, or voters among the witnesses. “Most of the testimonies amounted to hearsay, which is inadmissible in proving election irregularities,” the court ruled.
Reacting to the judgment, Ighodalo’s legal team announced their decision to appeal. “We disagree with the tribunal’s findings and will be seeking redress at the Court of Appeal,” one of Ighodalo’s lawyers stated.
