The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed the petition filed by the Accord Party, ruling that the petitioners failed to establish their allegations of non-compliance with electoral laws.
The Tribunal declared the petition lacking in merit and upheld the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo.
In its judgment on Accord Party vs. APC/Okpebholo, the Tribunal ruled against the petitioners on all four motions.
It held that the Accord Party failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate its claims of electoral irregularities. Consequently, the allegations of non-compliance were dismissed.
On the claim that Okpebholo was wrongly declared the winner and did not secure the highest number of lawful votes, the Tribunal disagreed with the petitioners, ruling in favor of Okpebholo and affirming the legitimacy of his victory.
In addition the Tribunal rejected the Accord Party’s request to be declared the winner, citing established precedents from the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. It noted that such a request cannot be granted without a clear and well-substantiated basis.
Furthermore, the Tribunal emphasized that a valid petition must specify instances of non-compliance and identify the affected polling units or wards. The petitioners failed to meet this requirement, rendering their claims legally insufficient.
The Tribunal also observed that several paragraphs of the petition were vague and lacked the necessary factual clarity. As a result, the motions were struck out, reaffirming Senator Okpebholo’s electoral victory.
Discussion about this post