Akpabio Mocks Opposition Parties Over Edo Governorship Election

Mr Akpabio said senators of the PDP and other parties have yet to come to terms with Governor Okpebholo’s victory in the 21 September poll.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, says the opposition parties have yet to believe that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) won the last governorship election in Edo State.

Mr Akpabio also made fun of Bauchi Central Senator Abdul Ningi for not commenting on the election on the floor of the Senate for fear of being sanctioned by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The senate president made the comments during the plenary on Wednesday after the senators allowed Governor Monday Okpebholo into the chamber to bid them farewell.

Mr Okpebholo served as the senator representing Edo Central for two years before his inauguration as governor on 12 November.

After the governor entered the chamber, Mr Akpabio said the APC senators were happy with him, but the opposition senators were not.

“This side (majority senators) is excited because they won. This side (minority senators) is quiet because they still can’t believe that they lost. But I must say that even here, some are indifferent because their political party did not contest, that is APGA.

“For the first time, Senator Ningi did not raise his hand because he does not want to make the mistake of saying something, and when he leaves here, his political party will go and sanction him,” he said.

Recently, the Senate Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claimed that the candidate of the party, Asuerinme Ighodalo, won the 21 September Edo governorship election.

The Caucus led by the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, insisted that the PDP’s mandate was stolen in the state and vowed that the party would work hard to retrieve it.

The national and state leaderships of the PDP and Mr Ighodalo also rejected the outcome of the election, alleging that it was manipulated.

Mr Ighodalo has since filed a petition before the state tribunal to challenge the declaration of Mr Okpebholo as the winner of the election.

The Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Benin City, held its inaugural session on Monday ahead of pre-hearing sittings.