Edo Tribunal Dismisses Action Alliance’s Petition Against Okpebholo

The Edo State governorship election tribunal has dismissed a suit filed by the Action Alliance (AA) and one Adekunle Rufai Omoaje challenging the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election in the state.

AA and Omoaje, in their joint petition, alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to recognise the party and Omoaje as the national chairman ahead of the election.

They said that by not permitting Omoaje to sign the party’s nomination form, they could not take part in the election.

Omoaje also alleged that the election was marred by irregularities and that Okpebholo and APC did not win the majority of lawful votes in the election.

He therefore urged the tribunal to declare the declaration of Okpebholo and APC as winners of the election by INEC as illegal, unlawful, unconditional, and null and void due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

Delivering judgment, the three-member panel of the tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, dismissed the suit for lacking merit and being frivolous.

The tribunal held that the petitioner had no locus standi to institute the case, as the petition was not based on election-related matters.

The tribunal further held that Omoaje did not participate in the governorship election and, as such, lacked the right to question the validity of the election.

The tribunal also held that Omoaje’s grievance of not being recognised as the National Chairman of the party to nominate candidates for the election had no basis in the Electoral Act of 2022.

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

Edo Tribunal Dismisses Action Alliance’s Petition Against Okpebholo is first published on The Whistler Newspaper