EDO ELECTION: TRIBUNAL UPHOLDS OKPEBHOLO’S ELECTION

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Benin, the Edo State capital, on Wednesday April 2, 2025 upheld the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, in the September 21, 2024 gubernatorial election in Edo State.

Ruling on a petition filed by Adekunle Rufai Omoaje and the Action Alliance (AA), the three man tribunal struck out the petition for lack of merit.

Omoaje had, in the petition, asked the Tribunal to declare the declaration of Okpebholo and APC as winners of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as illegal, unlawful, unconditional, and null and void due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

He also alleged corruption and that Okpebholo and APC did not win the majority of lawful votes in the election.

Omoaje further alleged that AA was not allowed to nominate a lawful governorship candidate for the election, having not signed the nomination form as the National Chairman of the party.

Ruling on the matter by the Tribunal on Wednesday, it was held that Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, who filed the joint petition, had no locus standi to institute the case, as his petition was not based on election-related matters.

Furthermore, Tribunal held that Omoaje did not participate in the governorship election and, as such, had no power to question the validity of the election.

The Tribunal also noted that Omoaje’s grievance against the election was that he was not recognized as the National Chairman of the Action Alliance for the purpose of nominating candidates for the poll. However, it was held that his claims had no basis in the Electoral Act of 2022.

INEC had declared Okpebholo of the APC as the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 247,655 votes in the election.