Tribunal confirm Monday Okpebholo as winner of Edo state governorship election

Di Edo State election petition tribunal for Abuja don affirm Monday Okpebholo as di validly elected govnor of di state.

Chairman of di tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi tok dis one on Wednesday afta e rule say di petition wey di Peoples Democratic Party bin file "dey lacking in merit and diafore struck out".

Di tribunal say PDP for all di evidence wey dem provide for court no fit establish why di result of di election suppose to be overturned.

According to di three-man panel of tribunal justices, na di petitioners get di burden to prove say di election get plenty mago-mago.

"Na trite law say a petitioner must succeed on di strength of im own case and not on di weakness of di defence," dem tok.

Di tribunal point out say di PDP bin try very well to detail di wards and polling units wia dem say di mago-mago bin happen during di election, but dem no provide competent witnesses to support dia case as di law require.

Di witnesses wey di petitioners bin bring to court, according to di tribunal, bin dey give only hearsay evidence bicos dem no be voters, polling unit agents or presiding officers wey take direct part in di election for di affected polling units.

Also, di Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines wey one subpoenaed witness carry come for court, none of dem bin dey switched on so dat dem go fit demonstrate weda overvoting happen for any of di polling units.

"E clear say di item wey dey needed to prove over-voting na di voters register, di BVAS machine and Form EC8A," di tribunal tok.

Again, di tribunal tok say di PDP no fit prove dia allegation say INEC no comply wit di Electoral Act as dem conduct di election.

Las las, di tribunal say even if dem comot di total votes wey di PDP claim say Inec bin add to di APC illegally, Okpebholo go still get more votes pass Ighodalo.

PDP head to Court of Appeal

Di PDP don tok say dem go carry di matter to di Court of Appeal as dem no understand some of di rulings of di tribunal.

Anthony Aziegbemi, di PDP caretaker chairman of Edo State tok dis one dis Thursday morning for one interview wit Arise TV.

"Wetin happen yesterday na huge travesty of justice," e tok.

"We go take dis case to di appeal court. I dey confused and I sure say most Nigerians dey confused. We no understand wetin di Judiciary dey try to do to dis kontri."

"We think say di three-man panel of tribunal justices make demsef di fourth respondent for dis case and dat na why we dey go to di appeal court, ultimately, we go get to di Supreme Court to make sure say di will of Edo pipo wey dem freely express on 21 September (2024) dey upheld.

Tribunal strike out Accord, AA petitions

Earlier in di day, Justice Kpochi bin first dismiss two petitions by Action Alliance (AA) and di Accord party.

Di parties bin also challenge Okpebholo victory for di election on di grounds say e dey characterised by irregularities and malpractice.

Di tribunal rule say di AA and Accord party petitions na about pre-election issues, and dem no get di jurisdiction to entertain such matters.

Accord and AA bin allege say Inec bin comot dia lawful candidate for di governorship election, and dem recognise candidate wey di party no validly nominate.

Dem also allege say Okpebholo and di APC no secure majority of lawful votes for di election, diafore di tribunal suppose nullify di election.

For dia judgement, di tribunal say di petitioner of di Accord Party no get any basis for di Electoral Act 2022.

Also, dem rule say di AA candidate, Tom Iseghhi-Okojie, bin don step down for Okpebholo few days bifore di election.

Background

Di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) bin declare Okpebholo winner of dat election wit 291,667 votes, while Ighodalo get 247,274 votes.

Olumide Akpata of di Labour Party candidate finish for a distant third position wit 22,763 votes.

However, Ighodalo allege say di election get plenty magomago and im no go accept di results, so e file di case bifor di tribunal.

Di tribunal bin start dia sitting for Benin, di Edo State capital, but dem later relocate to Abuja sake of violence by supporters of di two candidates for di election.

For one interview wit BBC Pidgin shortly afta Inec announce di election result, oga Ighodalo tok say e dey very disappointed wit how di election take go.

"I dey disappointed sake of say I bin tink say we go get a good transparent and effective conduct of elections,"e tok.

"E con dey be like say we dey get di worst election for di history of our kontri wey happun for Edo state."

"I tink say dis fit be di worst election wey dem dey conduct in di history of Nigeria."