Edo Guber: Six political parties petition tribunal, allege irregularities

Six political parties have filed petitions at the Edo State election tribunal challenging the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, winner of the September 21, 2024 governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Newspot reports that INEC had on September 22, 2024, declared the APC candidate winner of the election with 291,667 votes to defeat 17 other candidates, including his closet rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who scored 247,274 votes.

The parties that have petitioned the tribunal to challenge the conduct and 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.

The parties and candidates in their various petitions prayed for the nullification of the governorship election for noncompliance with the mandatory provisions of the Electoral Act.

The ADP in its petition opined that INEC which is the first respondent ought to have nullified the election and ordered a fresh one.

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The party noted that in the fresh election, the electoral umpire should ensure that it complies with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections.

On their part, APM, ADP, ZLP and SDP are challenging the results declared by the INEC in Nine Local Government Areas won by the Peoples Democratic Party and one won by the APC.

The Local Governments challenged by the parties are Esan North East, Esan South West, Igueben, Okpoba Okha, Orhionmwon, Ovia South West, Ovia North East and Uhunmwonde won by PDP.

They are also challenging Egor local government won by the APC.

In the petition filed by SDP, the party and candidate 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.

The petitioners alleged that the failure by the First Respondent through its Presiding Officers to electronically transmit collated votes at polling units as required by law has rendered the votes allocated to the 2nd Respondent, APC, 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 ordered a fresh election in Edo State 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 return of the 2nd Respondent, APC, and the 3rd Respondent, Senator Monday Okpebholo as winner of the Governorship Election was invalid by reason of corrupt practices.

The party also wants the court to declare the election of APC and its candidate invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Regulations and Guidelines issued thereunder at the election by INEC.