By Jethro Ibileke
No fewer than six political parties have filed petitions at the Edo State election petition tribunal, to challenge the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo of APC as the winner of the 21 September, 2024 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Recall that INEC had on 22 September, 2024, declared candidate of the APC winner of the election, with 291,667 votes to defeat 17 other candidates, including his closet rival, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, who scored 247,274 votes.
The parties that have petitioned the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the election are the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Social Democratic Party, SDP, Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, Action Democratic Party, ADP, Accord Party, AP, and the Allied Peoples’ Movement, APM.
They parties and their candidates in their respective petitions, prayed for the nullification of the governorship election for non compliance with the mandatory provisions of the Electoral Act.
The ADP in its petition, asked for a total cancelation of the election, adding that INEC ought to have nullified the election and order for a fresh one.
The party noted that in the fresh election, the electoral umpire should ensure that it comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of Elections.
The APM, ADP, ZLP and SDP also challenged the results declared by the INEC in nine local government areas won by the PDP, namely, Esan North East, Esan South West, Igueben, Okpoba Okha, Orhionmwon, Ovia South West, Ovia North East and Uhumwonde.
They also contested the result of Egor local government area won by the APC.
In the petition filed by SDP, the party averred that no winner could have emerged from the election which was held in fundamental breach of the Electoral Act and Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of the election by the first respondent (INEC).
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It alleged that the failure by INEC and its Presiding Officers, to transmit collated votes at polling units electronically, as required by law, has rendered the votes allocated to the APC candidate invalid and his declaration as winner of the election a nullity.
In its petition, ADP contended that
the votes accredited to the 2nd Respondent and indeed all the candidates for the election are invalid, having emanated from an election conducted in fundamental breach of the Electoral Act and Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of Elections by the Ist Respondent.
The party stated that the Ist Respondent ought to have nullified the election and order a fresh election in Edo, where the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of Elections of the Ist Respondent shall be complied with.
Also, in its petition, ZLP prayed the Tribunal to order that the declaration of the 2nd Respondent, APC, the 3rd Respondent, Senator Monday Okpebholo as winners of the Govenorship Election was invalid by reason of corupt practices and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Regulations and Guidelines issued thereunder at the election by INEC.
