The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja has dismissed the petition filed by the Action Alliance (AA) and its factional chairman, Adekunle Omoaje, challenging the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, the three-man tribunal struck out the petition, describing it as lacking in merit and frivolous. The panel ruled that Omoaje had no legal standing to challenge the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election since he was not a candidate in the poll.
Omoaje and the Action Alliance had approached the tribunal, alleging that the election was marred by corrupt practices and non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022. The petitioners contended that Okpebholo did not secure the majority of lawful votes and that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) acted unlawfully in declaring him the winner. They also claimed that AA was denied the right to field a governorship candidate due to issues surrounding the nomination process, particularly the absence of the National Chairman’s signature on the party’s nomination form.
INEC had officially declared Okpebholo as the winner of the election with 291,667 votes, defeating his closest opponent, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 247,655 votes.
However, the tribunal ruled that Omoaje’s claims were baseless, emphasizing that his grievance stemmed from his non-recognition as AA’s National Chairman by INEC—a matter unrelated to the governorship election. The tribunal maintained that under the Electoral Act 2022, only a candidate who participated in the election or a political party with a validly nominated candidate has the legal right to file an election petition.
Consequently, the tribunal dismissed the petition in its entirety, affirming Okpebholo’s victory as duly elected Governor of Edo State.
