Edo Governmentship Tribunal has been set up to make a verdict in Ighodalo vs Okpebholo case

The PDP and Ighodalo argued that the election did not comply with the Election Act 2022, referring to too much votes, manipulation of results and other malpractice. The Edo State Government Election Petty -Tribunal in Abuja will today make its verdict in the petition submitted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who is victorious on Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 21 September 2024, Governorship Erecyce, challenged. The three-man tribunal, led by Judge Wilfred Kpochi, reserved a ruling on March 3 after parties adopted their final written addresses. The decision will determine whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) Okpebholo declared properly as the winner, or that the election was violated by irregularities. The PDP and Ighodalo argued that the election did not comply with the Election Act 2022, referring to too much votes, manipulation of results and other malpractice. The requesters called 19 witnesses and offered several documents, including election results and BVAs reports, to support their claims. On its part, the APC defended the Inec’s statement of Okpebholo as the winner, demanding that the election be free, fair and credible. The ruling party presented four witnesses to counteract the allegations of the PDP, while Inec mentioned no witnesses. Prior to the ruling, supporters of both parties gathered in Abuja, with safety around the tribunal venue to prevent any division of the law and order. Political analysts believe the ruling could strengthen APC’s hold on the EDO state or reopen the race if the tribunal recommends a repetition or invalidate the Okpebholo victory. Follow the Sahara Reporting Channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vafclvth5jm6sssssp7m2y