Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal will today, Wednesday, decide on the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, on the conduct of last year’s gubernatorial election in the State.
The PDP and Ighodalo are challenging the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the September 21, 2024 election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
They alleged that the election was marred by irregularities and non compliance with the electoral laws.
Media Talk Africa reported that the three-member tribunal, headed by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, had, on March 3, reserved judgment in the petition after parties adopted their final written addresses.
However, confusion erupted on Tuesday as leaked copies of a yet-to-be-read judgement of the Edo State Governorship tribunal flooded the internet.
According to the judgement document making the rounds on the internet, the lead judgement dismissed the petition and affirmed the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
Reacting to the development, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, dismissed the purported judgment circulating online.
In an interview with Media Talk Africa on Tuesday, Ologunagba stated that it was not right to believe the alleged court judgment.
He said: “I don’t work online. You can’t stick your integrity on someone just waking up one morning and put something online and then you begin to run around with that; that’s not alright.”
On whether his party is optimistic about the upcoming tribunal judgement, the PDP spokesman stated that the party would first wait for the court to give its judgement on the matter before it will react to it.
Ologunagba added that there’s nothing optimistic about the Nigerian judiciary.
“Let them come out with the judgment first. Then we will deal with that.
“Obviously there’s nothing optimistic about the Nigerian judiciary,” he added.
Meanwhile, ahead of Wednesday, today’s judgment by the Tribunal, the state Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has sent a message of hope and unity to supporters, members of the ruling APC, and residents of the state.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Fred Itua, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, said that Okpebholo urged all residents of the state to maintain peace and order.
According to the statement, the governor expressed full confidence in the judiciary and its ability to deliver a fair and just judgment.
“The tribunal’s decision is a crucial part of our democratic process, and we must all respect its authority.
“I want to emphasise that our state’s progress and development are paramount. We must not allow political differences to disrupt the peace and harmony we have worked so hard to build.
“We are people committed to democracy, peace, and progress,” the governor said.
