In a resounding legal victory for Governor Monday Okpebholo, the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has upheld his election, dismissing all petitions challenging his mandate.
In a landmark ruling delivered on Wednesday, the tribunal struck down claims of electoral malpractice filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Action Alliance (AA), and Accord Party (AP), ruling that the petitioners failed to provide credible evidence to support their allegations.
PDP’S CASE FALLS APART UNDER SCRUTINY
The PDP, which mounted the most high-profile challenge, alleged widespread overvoting, irregularities, and electoral misconduct. However, the tribunal blasted the party for presenting weak and unsubstantiated claims, stating that its so-called “star witness”—a Director of Strategy—had no direct involvement in the election process.
The panel particularly criticised the PDP for failing to present credible evidence to support its allegations, noting that the party did not call polling unit agents as witnesses from all the units where it had alleged irregularities took place. Instead, out of the 19 witnesses presented by the PDP, 14 were ward and local government agents—a move the tribunal found inadequate to prove the case.
Even more damning, the tribunal ruled that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) reports tendered by the PDP were “dumped” on the court without proper analysis or supporting testimony, rendering them inadmissible as evidence.
ACTION ALLIANCE AND ACCORD PARTY PETITIONS ALSO DISMISSED
The tribunal also threw out petitions from AA and AP, declaring them frivolous, lacking merit, and unsupported by facts.
AA’s petition, filed by its candidate Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, was struck out outright, with the court ruling that it contained no compelling evidence to challenge the election’s credibility.
Accord Party’s petition, led by its candidate Dr. Bright Enabulele, alleged ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and thuggery, but the tribunal found no proof to support these claims.
Notably, the court criticized the inconsistencies in the opposition parties’ arguments—on one hand, they demanded the annulment of the election, while on the other, they sought to be declared winners of the same election they claimed was fraudulent.
OKPEBHOLO’S VICTORY: LEGALLY UNTOUCHABLE
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Monday Okpebholo winner of the Edo State Governorship Election with 291,667 votes, defeating PDP’s Asue Ighodalo, who secured 247,655 votes.
With the tribunal ruling that the election was conducted in full compliance with the law, Okpebholo’s victory now stands legally affirmed.
WHAT NEXT FOR THE OPPOSITION?
With the tribunal delivering a devastating legal blow to the opposition, the question now is whether the PDP and other parties will escalate the battle to the Court of Appeal.
For now, Governor Okpebholo remains firmly in office, and his administration moves forward with an undisputed mandate—one that has survived both the ballot and the courtroom.
