Olumide Akpata,
The judgment by the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which upheld the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Monday Okpebholo, has not put an end to the matter.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to challenge the ruling, describing it as a judicial endorsement of electoral fraud.
In a statement issued from Abuja after reviewing the Certified True Copy of the judgment, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, the PDP Chairman in Edo State, called the verdict a travesty.
He argued that the tribunal placed technicalities above justice and ignored clear evidence of electoral malpractice.
“We are proceeding to the Court of Appeal with the facts, the law, and the will of the Edo people firmly on our side,” Aziegbemi declared, accusing the tribunal of acting as a “fourth respondent” by allegedly inventing legal barriers to shield a flawed election.
The PDP’s petition claims that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) manipulated the election in favor of the APC and its candidate, Okpebholo, by using fake result sheets and disregarding its own guidelines.
“The judgment failed to address an electoral coup,” said Anthony Ehilebo, Special Adviser on Media to the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
“Tap Initiative’s forensic audit revealed that many result sheets appeared to have been filled by a single hand. Yet, INEC’s own IReV portal still shows the authentic results.”
Despite the PDP’s criticism, Okpebholo has extended an olive branch, urging Ighodalo to join him in the effort to build a better Edo State.
However, PDP leaders have rejected the offer, calling it premature.
“There can be no peace without justice,” said party stalwart Goodluck Osaretin. “What happened was a stolen mandate. We are determined to retrieve it through the courts.”
Meanwhile, Olumide Akpata, former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the candidate for the Labour Party (LP) in the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election, has explained why he chose not to challenge the election result at the tribunal.
On October 21, 2024, the last day for filing petitions at the gubernatorial election tribunal, Akpata, who had campaigned under the slogan #EdoWillBeOk, explained his decision not to contest the results.
“My decision not to approach the tribunal is not a capitulation to injustice but a resolute stand against a flawed system,” Akpata stated.
“I choose to rise above the quagmire of protracted legal battles that sometimes serve to legitimise a fundamentally compromised process. The burden of proof placed on petitioners is not just high; it is often insurmountable.”
Akpata finished a distant third in the election, securing just 22,763 votes, as Okpebholo of the APC was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
