THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in last year’s governorship election in Edo State, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, has indicated intention to appeal the judgment of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja, which upheld the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 21.
Recall that the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member panel, in a unanimous decision, dismissed PDP and Ighodalo’s petitions for inability to prove the allegation of over-voting in the election, faulting how the petitioners proved their evidence.
However, Ighadalo, in a statement, expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling, vowing to appeal the judgment.
He stated: “The Tribunal has delivered its judgment in our petition challenging the outcome of the September 21st, 2024, governorship election in our dear state.
“While we all may not agree with the verdict, we remain steadfast in our belief that the rule of law must remain the bedrock of our democracy. Our pursuit of justice in this regard is an affirmation of our firm belief that the right of the good people of Edo State to freely choose their leaders through a credible, free, and fair electoral process must never be compromised.
“As a committed democrat, I respect the judiciary as the last hope of the common man and I urge all of you, our dear good people of Edo State, to remain peaceful, calm, and law-abiding in the aftermath of this judgment.
“However, let it be clear: This is not the end of our journey, but the beginning of a greater struggle for justice, democracy, and the sanctity of the people’s mandate freely conferred on my running mate, Osarodion Ogie, and me on the platform of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party.”
Ighodalo disclosed that he had instructed his legal team to proceed to the appellate court to challenge the tribunal’s judgment, adding: “From the very beginning, your massive show of support, sincere love, and belief in our shared vision for a prosperous Edo State have been the driving force behind this journey.
“For us, it has never been about the realisation of a personal ambition but about our conviction to create a clear pathway to prosperity for all Edo people while upholding the foundational values of democracy, justice, and the will of the people.
“I have, therefore, instructed my legal team to proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge this decision, which we consider a huge travesty of justice.
“This is not about me or any single individual; it is about the very essence of democracy, the preservation of our collective right to freely determine our future, and the legacy we leave for generations to come.”
In the same vein, campaign director of the Asue/Ogie Campaign Council, Mr. Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, while describing the judgment as a miscarriage of justice, said: “First of all, our lawyers are studying the judgment to see the reasons why and how the tribunal reached their conclusion.
“But listening to the language of the judgment, you will see that it tallies with what some members of the APC have been saying during the hearing of the case. They had said we came to dump BVAS and document in court.
“Mind you, all the documents we presented in court were certified true copies by INEC, which they did not object to at the tribunal. If INEC had said the document did not emanate from them, may be that could have raised some doubt and there would have been the need to double check.
“Our lawyers did fantastically well to prove the issue of over voting and did this with thorough enumeration and calculation. And when there are cases of over-voting, you cancel those polling units. We did our tabulation and Ighodalo won 12 out of the 18 local government areas with over 30,000 votes.
“Definitely, we will appeal this judgment and if we had won today, the APC would have appealed too. We disagree with the judgment; it is a miscarriage of justice.”
Meanwhile, celebration of the judgment continued in the camp of the governor, who, in a remark, dedicated his victory to God, thanking his party’s leadership for their support, adding that the judgment was a call to further transform the state.
Writing on his X handle, Okpebholo said: “Today, the tribunal affirmed the mandate graciously given to me by the good people of Edo State. This victory belongs to God and to every Edo citizen who believes in our collective vision for a better, more prosperous state.
“With this judgment, we move forward with even greater determination to deliver practical governance and drive the transformation of Edo State. The journey continues. Together, we will make Edo great.”
Acting Chairman of the party in the state, Mr. Jarret Tenebe, said Okpehbolo’s victory was not a time to celebrate, but to continue the good work the governor began after he was elected, assuring that the government would do more to improve the lives of the people.
“I call on other political parties to join hands with Okpehbolo to deliver the dividends of democracy as the judgment showed that the people voted for Okpehbolo.”
The tribunal had earlier dismissed the petition of the Action Alliance (AA) against Okpebholo and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), instituted by the party and one Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, for lacking merit.
It also dismissed the petition filed by the Accord Party (AP) and its governorship candidate for failing to prove their allegations beyond reasonable doubt and rejected their request to order INEC to conduct a fresh election in the state.
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