Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Edo State governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, has vowed to challenge the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which affirmed Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the September 21, 2024 poll.
On Thursday, a three-member panel of the appellate court in Abuja dismissed the appeal filed by Ighodalo and the PDP, describing it as unmeritorious. The court upheld the April 2 judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which validated Okpebholo’s election.
Justice M. A. Danjuma, who delivered the lead judgment, said the appellants failed to prove that the tribunal erred. The appellate court agreed that the tribunal was right in declaring that the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act.
Ighodalo and the PDP had approached the tribunal claiming that Okpebholo did not score the majority of lawful votes and that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, particularly with the handling of sensitive materials and vote collation.
In the petition marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, they alleged irregularities in 765 polling units and produced 19 witnesses, including 153 BVAS machines. However, the tribunal ruled that the petitioners failed to provide sufficient credible evidence or competent witnesses, such as polling unit agents or presiding officers.
The tribunal also faulted the petitioners for merely tendering documents without effectively demonstrating their relevance in court, and dismissed their claims of over-voting and manipulation.
The appellate court found no reason to overturn the May 15 decision of the tribunal and thus affirmed the election of Okpebholo, who was declared winner with 291,667 votes, ahead of Ighodalo who polled 247,655 votes.
Despite the double setback, Ighodalo has expressed his resolve to seek redress at the Supreme Court.
