The Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed the petition filed by the Accord Party, challenging the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The petition, which alleged non-compliance and sought to declare Okpebholo's election invalid, was found to lack merit and was dismissed in its entirety.
The tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpichi, delivered four rulings in the case, with the first ruling stating that the Accord Party failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate their claims of electoral irregularities. As a result, the motion was resolved against the petitioners.
In the second ruling, the tribunal addressed the Accord Party’s claim that Governor Okpebholo did not receive the required number of lawful votes. This motion was also dismissed, with the tribunal concluding that there was no merit to the allegation.
The third and fourth rulings focused on the Accord Party’s request to have their candidate declared the winner of the election. The tribunal rejected these requests, citing past rulings from the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, which emphasized that a petition must provide clear and sufficient facts for such a claim to be considered.
The three-member panel also criticized the Accord Party’s petition for lacking clarity and failing to properly state the facts of the case. Consequently, the motions were struck out for being vague and not meeting the necessary legal requirements.
This ruling further solidifies Governor Okpebholo's position as the elected governor of Edo State, as the tribunal found no valid grounds to overturn the election results.
