Edo Tribunal Upholds Okpebholo’s Victory, Dismisses PDP’s Petition

The Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja has upheld Senator Monday Okpebholo’s election as Edo State Governor. A three-member panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo.

PDP Fails to Prove Electoral Non-Compliance

In its ruling, the tribunal stated that the petitioners failed to provide competent witnesses to support their claims of electoral irregularities. Justice Kpochi emphasized that proving non-compliance with the Electoral Act requires substantial evidence. The tribunal noted that PDP’s failure to call polling unit officers, presiding officers, or voters weakened its case.

Tribunal Rejects Hearsay Evidence

The tribunal pointed out that most of the 19 witnesses presented by PDP relied on hearsay evidence. Justice Kpochi criticized the PDP for depending on Section 137 of the Electoral Act to submit documents without proper scrutiny. The tribunal ruled that it had no obligation to examine documents dumped before it.

BVAS Evidence Considered Insufficient

The tribunal ruled that the BVAS machines presented by the petitioners remained inactive, as it was not its duty to extract data. It further clarified that proving overvoting required submitting voters’ registers, BVAS data, and polling unit results (Forms EC8A). The PDP’s failure to provide these key documents led to the rejection of its claims.

Tribunal Declares Petition Lacks Merit

The tribunal unanimously dismissed Ighodalo’s petition, stating that it lacked merit. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who secured 247,655 votes. PDP had challenged results from 765 polling units out of the 4,519 units in Edo State.

PDP’s Allegations Against INEC

PDP alleged that INEC improperly computed votes, failed to serialize electoral materials, and permitted overvoting. However, the tribunal ruled that PDP failed to substantiate these claims with credible evidence.

Final Verdict

With the tribunal’s judgment, Okpebholo remains the duly elected Edo State Governor. The ruling reinforces the importance of presenting verifiable evidence in election petitions.

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