The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja has declared Monday Okpebolo the winner of the September 21, 2024, election held in Edo State.
ENigeria News reports that following the controversy arising in the last Edo State Governorship election, where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Monday Okpebolo of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, who polled 247,655 votes, the PDP candidate approached the Edo State Governorship Election tribunal, and after three months of critically examining the petition brought before it, the tribunal moments ago declared Monday Okpebolo the authentic winner, dismissing the petition of Asue Ighodalo.
The PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, had argued that Monday Okpebolo of the APC did not win the election, citing multiple cases of overvoting, corrupt practices, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
The member panel of the tribunal, headed by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, had, on 3 March, reserved judgment in the petition after the parties adopted their final written addresses.
Although our correspondent, who was present in court, noted that there was an acknowledgement of issues like over-voting and a few other concerns raised in Asue Ighodalo’s petition, the APC’s written address knocked most of the concerns out, and consequently, in its judgment, the Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal dismissed the petition and ruled in favour of the defendant.
