Edo Gov. Election Petition: Judgement holds Wednesday

The two principal characters in the Edo State September 21 Governorship Election, (L), Asue Ighodalo of the PDP and Gov. Monday Okpebholo of the APC

From our news desk, Benin 

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Finally after about four months of legal fireworks; the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has fixed Wednesday, April 2, 2025 to deliver judgment on the September 21, 2024 election.

The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) on September 22, 2024, declared Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the election with 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 247,274 votes, and Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) who scored 22,763 votes.

Not satisfied, Ighodalo and his PDP filed a petition challenging the victory of Governor Okpebholo in the election, at the three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Wilfred Kpochi.

Ighodalo and his PDP cited over-voting, lack of ballot serialization, errors in collation, and miscalculation in results against the INEC seeking in their prayers; that the tribunal overturn the result and declare them the winner. 

Also the Accord Party, Alliance Party, Social Democratic Party, Allied Peoples Movement, Action Democratic Party, and Zenith Labour Party joined the PDP and Ighodalo in challenging the result.

The tribunal sitting in Benin, Edo State Capital was threatened severally by violence occasioned by thugs and supporters of both political parties around precint of the court; almost disrupting its proceedings.

The tribunal consequently relocated to Abuja for fear of insecurity and continued intimidation by these actors.

INEC at the tribunal 

During the tribunal hearings, the petitioners presented 19 witnesses and summoned a Senior Technical Officer from INEC’s ICT department. The officer provided 154 BVAS machines as evidence to support claims of over-voting.

In the case which was marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, INEC did not call any witnesses in response to the petition. 

While Okpebholo presented only one witness, and the APC four witnesses before closing their defense.

The tribunal was inaugurated by the National Judicial Council (NJC) a week before the election; with Muazu Bagudu as its secretary.

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