By Ogochukwu Isioma
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has secured a significant victory against the Accord Party (AP), winning four motions in the ongoing tribunal case.
The three-man Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, in its ruling on Wednesday, dismissed the AP’s allegations of non-compliance and wrongful return of Okpebholo as the governor.
In its first ruling, the Tribunal stated that the Accord Party failed to provide sufficient evidence to support their claims of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
The Tribunal resolved the motion against the petitioners, dealing a significant blow to their case.
The second ruling addressed the Accord Party’s allegation that Okpebholo did not receive the required number of lawful votes.
The Tribunal disagreed, resolving the motion in favour of Okpebholo.
In the third and fourth rulings, the Tribunal dismissed the Accord Party’s request to declare their candidate the winner of the election.
The Tribunal cited past Court of Appeal and Supreme Court judgments, emphasizing that relevant facts must be pleaded for such a request to be granted.
The Tribunal also criticized the Accord Party’s petition for lacking clarity and failing to state the facts of the petition.
The motions were subsequently struck out for being imprecise.
This development is a significant setback for the Accord Party and a boost to Okpebholo’s administration.
It comes after the Tribunal earlier on stroke out the petition of the Action Alliance (AA) against Okpebholo for lacking in merit.
The Tribunal’s rulings demonstrate the importance of presenting clear and evidence-based arguments in electoral disputes.
