ABUJA — Asuerinme Ighodalo, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election, has announced his intention to appeal to the Supreme Court, following a loss at the Court of Appeal.
Court of Appeal Decision:
- A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice M.A. Danjuma, on Thursday affirmed the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
- The court dismissed Ighodalo’s appeal for lacking merit, effectively upholding the ruling of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which earlier ruled in favour of Okpebholo.
Background:
- The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Okpebholo the winner with 291,667 votes, ahead of Ighodalo’s 247,655 votes.
- Ighodalo and the PDP challenged the results on grounds of alleged electoral malpractice, including:
- Non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.
- Failure of INEC to pre-record and serialize sensitive materials.
- Alleged rigging and over-voting in 765 polling units.
- Wrong computation of results and manipulation at collation centres.
Tribunal Findings:
- The tribunal ruled that the petitioners failed to provide sufficient and credible evidence.
- Key points from the judgment:
- Petitioners relied on hearsay evidence and did not present presiding officers or voters as witnesses.
- BVAS machines were submitted but not demonstrated or properly authenticated in court.
- Exhibits were “dumped” without relevant explanation or linkage to polling unit irregularities.
Next Steps:
- Ighodalo and the PDP will appeal to the Supreme Court, hoping to overturn both the tribunal and appellate court rulings.
- Legal observers note that success at the apex court will depend on the ability to prove substantial non-compliance and voter disenfranchisement—requirements that both the lower courts said were not met.
