Edo tribunal dismisses AA’s petition against Gov Okpebholo

The Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed a case filed by the Action Alliance, AA, to nullify the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The three-member panel held that the petition, which AA filed alongside its National Chairman, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, lacked merit. The tribunal held that the petition touched on pre-election issues which it lacked the requisite jurisdiction to entertain.

The petitioners had among other things, alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, excluded its lawful candidate in the governorship election that held on September 21, 2024. They alleged that contrary to various court judgements, the electoral body accepted and recognised a candidate that was not validly nominated by the party.

According to the petitioners, INEC’s failure to publish the name of the rightful candidate of the party for the gubernatorial contest amounted to a substantial non-compliance to provisions of section 134(1) (b) of the Electoral Act.

More so, aside from their contention that Governor Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, did not secure the majority of lawful votes cast during the election, the petitioners insisted that the exercise was marred by corrupt practices.

Consequently, they prayed for the nullification of the election, a request the panel refused on Wednesday.

The panel upheld all the preliminary objections that were lodged against the petition.

All the Respondents, including INEC and Governor Okpebholo, had challenged the competence of the petition, stressing that the National Chairman of the AA was bereft of the locus standi to institute the action since he did not participate in the governorship poll.

They equally maintained that the petition was statute-barred as it contained pre-election matters that were beyond the jurisdiction of the tribunal.

It will be recalled that AA’s candidate, Mr. Tom Iseghhi-Okojie, stepped down for governor Okpebholo, a few days before the governorship election.