Edo Tribunal Begins Hearing On Petitions Challenging Governorship Election Result

The Edo State governorship election tribunal will begin hearing on the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenging the outcome of the September 16 election in the state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, as the winner of the poll, ahead of his PDP candidate rival, Asue Ighodalo.

The PDP and its candidate rejected the result of the election over alleged widespread irregularities.

The Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led panel will hear seven separate petitions with the PDP seeking the reversal of the election result and have Ighodalo declared the winner.

Other petitioners include the Accord Party, Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), each challenging the election results.

Ahead of the tribunal’s pre-hearing on Monday, the PDP Caretaker Chairman in Edo State, Tony Aziegbemi, called for a fair examination of the evidence before the tribunal.

He said: “That is what we expected the tribunal to do. Our lawyers will be there to show clearly that the election was stolen by the All Progressives Congress.

“For us as a party, we believe that the judiciary will look at the evidence that we have overwhelmingly to show that the election was stolen and we expect our lawyers to do justice to that.

“We expect the judiciary to look at the case dispassionately based on the evidence before them and take a decision that will have traces of justice.”

The APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, however, expressed confidence in his party’s legal team and readiness to challenge the PDP’s petition.

Uwadiae-Igbinigie said: “We are prepared for the tribunal as we are respondents in the petition being filed. We have some of the best hands on our legal team. We have also looked at the petition they filed without prejudice to the case they filed. We want to say that we are ready to meet them in court.

“We are also ready to expose any PDP’s act that can be prejudicial to the case. We know that the calibre of those who have been appointed to the tribunal are people who are impenetrable and have proven integrity.

“We know the case they have filed against us and we have also filed our responses. Edo people will now know that the PDP has lost electoral value in the state while the APC government is ready to embark on programmes that will better the lot of Edo people.”