The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja has dismissed a petition filed by the Action Alliance (AA) seeking to nullify the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
The three-member panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, ruled on Wednesday that the petition lacked merit.
The tribunal explained that the case involved pre-election matters, which were outside its jurisdiction.
AA and its National Chairman, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, had argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) excluded their rightful candidate from the September 21, 2024, governorship election.
They claimed INEC instead recognized a candidate who was not properly nominated, despite previous court rulings.
The petitioners alleged that INEC’s failure to publish their legitimate candidate’s name violated Section 134(1)(b) of the Electoral Act.
Additionally, they contended that Governor Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not win the majority of valid votes and that the election was tainted by corrupt practices.
However, the tribunal rejected their request to annul the election, upholding all objections raised by the respondents, including INEC and Governor Okpebholo. The respondents argued that:
The AA National Chairman had no legal standing to file the petition since he did not participate in the election.
The case was invalid because it dealt with pre-election issues, which the tribunal had no authority to handle.
Notably, AA’s candidate, Mr. Tom Iseghhi-Okojie, withdrew from the race just days before the election, further weakening the party’s case.
