The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, has dismissed a petition filed by the Action Alliance (AA) and Adekunle Omoaje against Governor Monday Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The tribunal ruled that the case lacked merit and was frivolous.
The tribunal held that Omoaje, who initiated the petition, had no legal standing to challenge the election’s outcome, as he did not participate in the governorship race. It further stated that his grievances stemmed from not being recognized as the party’s national chairman for candidate nomination, a claim deemed baseless under the Electoral Act 2022.
Omoaje had sought to nullify the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) declaration of Okpebholo as the winner, alleging election irregularities, corruption, and a lack of majority lawful votes. However, the tribunal rejected his claims.
INEC had declared Okpebholo 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.
