By Ogochukwu Isioma
The Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal currently sitting in Abuja, has dismissed the petition of the Action Alliance against the state Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo as the winner of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo state. Not satisfied, AA approached the Tribunal seeking to upturn Okpebholo’s victory.
However, in its ruling on Wednesday, the Tribunal held that the petitioners failed to establish their allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act and corrupt practices, saying that corrupt practices do not exist in vacuum.
The three-man Justice Kpochi led Tribunal also ruled that the petitioners could not also proof that corrupt practices substantially affected the outcome of the election.
The Tribunal maintained that it is only the party that fields a candidate that has the locus-standi to challenge the outcome of the election, and this was not the case with AA.
The Tribunal said the Petititioners woefully failed to proof their case, and added that the Petitioners can only ventilate their grievances at the state high court not at the Tribunal.
It held that the Tribunal lacks the locus-standi to entertain the Petition as it is a pre-election matter, and therefore, dismissed the petition in its entirety for lacking in merit.
With the case of AA out of its way, the Tribunal is expected to rule on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo’s petition in the ongoing and final judgement that is currently underway in Abuja.
