The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition filed by the Accord Party, challenging the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the September 21 governorship election.
In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel of the tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, dismissed the suit for lacking in merit.
AP and its candidate, Dr Bright Onabulele, had prayed the court to nullify the declaration of Okpebholo as governor, as the election was marred by irregularities, violence, intimidation and harassment of voters.
The party also alleged that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines in various polling units in the state.
Delivering judgment, the tribunal held that the petitioners failed to provide substantial evidence to prove their case as required by the law.
According to the tribunal, while the petitioners made “general and sweeping allegations” against the outcome of the election, they failed to bring particulars of exact polling units or wards where the alleged widespread rigging and non-compliance occurred.
The tribunal, therefore, held that it found merit in all the preliminary objections that were filed to challenge the competence of the petition and subsequently dismissed the petition.
Recall that INEC had declared Okpebholo of the APC as the winner with 291,667 votes after defeating his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 247,655 votes in the election.
The tribunal had earlier dismissed a suit filed by the Action Alliance (AA) and one Adekunle Rufai Omoaje challenging the outcome of the governorship poll.
AA and Omoaje, in their joint petition, alleged that INEC failed to recognise the party and Omoaje as the national chairman ahead of the election.
With the two cases dismissed, the panel is set to decide the joint petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo, seeking to be declared winners of the poll.
