The Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has reserved its judgment in the case brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenging the results of the state’s recent gubernatorial election.
After hearing final written addresses from the parties involved, the three-member panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, announced that the date for the judgment would be communicated to all parties by the tribunal’s secretary.
During the hearing, counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Kanu Agabi, urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition, asserting that it lacked merit.
He argued that the petitioners had failed to request the annulment of the election in their reliefs, and noted that the witnesses presented by the petitioners, who were polling unit agents, represented only a small fraction of the state’s polling units.
Similarly, the counsel for the governor, Onyechi Ikpeazu, also requested the dismissal of the petition, describing it as an “academic exercise.” He pointed out that upon reviewing the polling units mentioned in the petition, it became clear that the incumbent governor had a significant lead over the petitioner.
Ikpeazu further argued that the petitioners had failed to provide proper documentation, including evidence of overvoting, and claimed that all necessary electoral material information had been correctly filled out on Form EC25B.
In response, the petitioners’ counsel, Ken Moze, defended their case by emphasizing that while the petition concerned 765 polling units out of the state’s 4,519, the success of an election petition is not determined by the percentage of polling units involved, but by the weight and effect of the established complaints.
Moze insisted that the tribunal should consider the petition in its entirety, not in isolated parts, and stated that all results presented before the tribunal were duly tendered by his clients.
He also responded to accusations that the petitioners had only called five polling unit agents, explaining that their primary concern lay with what transpired at the collation centers rather than at the individual polling units.
Moze further defended the petition by asserting that all the documents tendered were certified by INEC and presented without objection. He also emphasized that the tribunal had the jurisdiction to hear the case, as the allegations raised were not pre-election matters.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Kpochi concluded the proceedings and reserved judgment, which will be delivered at a later date to be announced.
The PDP and Ighodalo are seeking the tribunal’s intervention to invalidate the election results, citing alleged violations of the Electoral Act of 2022. The outcome of this case will be closely watched as it holds significant implications for the integrity of the state’s electoral process and the future of its governance.
