The Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal has reaffirmed Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected governor of Edo State, following the September 21, 2024 election. The tribunal, led by Wilfred Kpochi, dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenging the election results.

In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, the tribunal ruled that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations. The panel noted that despite presenting detailed claims regarding alleged irregularities in specific wards and polling units, the petitioners only submitted exhibits without backing them up with credible witnesses, as required by law.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes. Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) placed third with 22,763 votes.

Ighodalo and the PDP had challenged the election results, alleging non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and seeking to nullify Okpebholo’s victory due to alleged irregularities during the election process.

However, the tribunal ruled that the petitioners failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate their claims. It emphasized that the burden of proof rested solely on the petitioners and that they had not met the required legal standards. The tribunal also noted that much of the testimony provided was based on hearsay, and crucial documents such as the voter register, BVAS machines, and Form EC8A in original form were not submitted.

In its final ruling, the tribunal concluded that even if the alleged unlawful votes were deducted, Okpebholo would still have won the election. The court affirmed that there was no substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act during the election.