Breaking: PDP Igbhodalo announces next step after losing to Edo Gov Okpebholo at Tribunal
- PDP candidate in the 2024 Edo state governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, has vowed to challenge the outcome of the poll at the Court of Appeal
- Ighodalo and the PDP disclosed, while reacting to the outcome of the Tribunal's judgment, where they lost the challenges because of a lack of evidence
- The tribunal had subsequently declared the APC and Governor Monday Okpebholo as the authentic winners of the poll
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Benin, Edo - Asue Ighodalo, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2024 governorship election in Edo state, has announced the plan to head to the Court of Appeal to further challenge the outcome of the poll.
The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal upheld the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The tribunal's unanimous decision, delivered by Chairman Justice Wilfred Kpochi, found no merit in the petition filed by the PDP and its candidate, Ighodalo, challenging Okpebholo's victory.
Source: Twitter
Why PDP took APC Gov Okpebholo to court
The petitioners had alleged that the election was not conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act, 2022, and that Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of lawful votes. They also claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to properly serialize and record sensitive materials, leading to rigging in favor of the APC. The petitioners presented 19 witnesses and tendered exhibits, including 153 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVA) machines used in 133 polling units.
However, the tribunal held that the petitioners failed to provide credible evidence to support their claims. The onus of proving that Okpebholo's victory was undue rested with the petitioners, and the tribunal ruled that they did not succeed on the strength of their own case. The panel emphasized that a petitioner must succeed based on their own evidence, rather than relying on the weaknesses of the defense.
See Ighodalo's statement here:
INEC declared APC Okpebholo winner in Edo election
The tribunal's decision comes after INEC declared Okpebholo the winner of the governorship election, with 291,667 votes to Ighodalo's 247,655. The PDP and its candidate had approached the tribunal, seeking to nullify the election result.
The tribunal's ruling has effectively upheld Okpebholo's victory, bringing an end to the dispute over the Edo State governorship election. The tribunal also dismissed other political party's appeal against the governor and the ruling APC.
Aside from the PDP and its candidate, Ighodalo, other political parties that the tribunal threw out their cases against the governor and the APC are Action Alliance (AA) and the Accord Party (AP).
Okpebholo gives appointment to Oshiomhole's son
Legit.ng earlier reported that Cyril, the son of Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has been appointed as the commissioner for health in Edo state by the new governor, Monday Okpebholo.
Governor Okpebholo appointed Oshiomhole's son alongside two others to hit the ground running on his first day in office as the number one citizen in the state.
Oshiomhole is a two-term governor of Edo state and former national chairman of the APC, who contributed immensely to Okpebholo's victory.
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Source: Legit.ng
