By Our Correspondent
The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has dismissed a petition challenging the election victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 21, 2024, governorship election.
The petition, filed by the Action Alliance (AA) and one Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, was struck out for lacking merit and being frivolous. Delivering its first judgment on Wednesday, the Tribunal ruled that Omoaje had no legal standing to institute the case, as his claims were not based on election-related matters.
The Tribunal emphasized that Omoaje did not participate in the election and, therefore, lacked the authority to challenge its outcome. It further stated that his grievance stemmed from his non-recognition as the National Chairman of the Action Alliance, which affected his ability to nominate candidates for the election. However, the Tribunal ruled that this claim had no foundation in the Electoral Act of 2022.
Omoaje had sought to have Okpebholo’s victory nullified, alleging non-compliance with the Electoral Act, corruption, and lack of a majority of lawful votes by the APC. He also contended that AA was denied the opportunity to nominate a governorship candidate since he was not acknowledged as the party’s National Chairman.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo of the APC as the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 247,655 votes.
With this ruling, Governor Okpebholo and the APC have cleared the first legal hurdle in defending their mandate, even as other petitions against their victory remain pending before the Tribunal.
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