By Deborah Nnamdi
The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal convened in Abuja on Wednesday, rejected the Action Alliance (AA)’s case seeking to annul the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
A three-member panel led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi ruled that the petition, filed by AA alongside its National Chairman, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, was without merit.
The tribunal stated that the petition dealt with pre-election matters, over which it did not have the necessary jurisdiction to rule.
The petitioners had, among other things, alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, excluded its lawful candidate in the governorship election that was held on September 21, 2024.
They alleged that contrary to various court judgments, the electoral body accepted and recognized a candidate that was not validly nominated by the party.
According to the petitioners, INEC’s failure to publish the name of the rightful candidate of the party for the gubernatorial contest amounted to a substantial non-compliance to provisions of section 134(1) (b) of the Electoral Act.
More so, aside from their contention that Governor Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, did not secure the majority of lawful votes cast during the election, the petitioners insisted that the exercise was marred by corrupt practices.
Consequently, they prayed for the nullification of the election, a request the panel refused on Wednesday.
The panel upheld all the preliminary objections that were lodged against the petition.
All the respondents, including INEC and Governor Okpebholo, had challenged the competence of the petition, stressing that the National Chairman of the AA was bereft of the locus standi to institute the action since he did not participate in the governorship poll.
They equally maintained that the petition was statute-barred as it contained pre-election matters that were beyond the jurisdiction of the tribunal.
It will be recalled that AA’s candidate, Mr. Tom Iseghhi-Okojie, stepped down for governor Okpebholo, a few days before the governorship election.
