Court Reserves Judgment On Edo Governorship Election Case
Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal has Reserved final Judgment on the petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate Asue Ighodalo against the election victory of Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo.
The Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member tribunal reserved the matter for judgment in Abuja on Monday after councels in the matter adopted their final written addresses.
According to Justice Kpochi, date for judgment will be communicated to parties by the Secretary of the tribunal.
Upon resumption of sitting,counsels to the first, second and third respondents took turns to make final submissions.
Kanu Agabi SAN for the first respondent INEC, Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN for the second respondent Monday Okpebholo and Emmanuel Okala SAN for the 3rd respondent, the All Progressives Congress, APC.
All councels submitted that PDP’s petition lacked merit and urged the court to dismiss it, as it was indeed a mere academic exercise.
They argued that over-voting cannot be proven without BVAs and noted that the petioner simply dumped BVAS on the court without addressing them.
The legal team also noted that PDP failed to prove its case polling unit to polling unit, ward to ward and Local government to Local government as provided by law.
The counsels further stated that PDP only called 5 polling unit agents out of over 4000 polling units in the state, without presenting a single presiding officer.
The Senior Advocates further posited that even if the polling units contested by the petitioners were removed, governor Okpebholo will still be ahead.
They however urged the court to dismiss the case because there is no concrete evidence with which to come to conclusions of the allegations by petitioners.
Responding,
Counsel to the petioner
Ken mozia SAN said the petition is not about the number of polling units in question but the effect on the election as a whole.
He condemned counsels to the respondents for referring to the case as a mere academic exercise.
Addressing the point that PDP did not call enough polling agents, Mozia said the party conceded that true elections took place at the ward level but the concern is at the Collation level, where he claimed the figures metamorphized
He however urged the court to grant the petition.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, APC State chairman Jaret Tenebe, Joseph Ikpea from Edo Central, APC Legal Adviser, Stephen Okoror and Shegun Ukonga from Akoko were among stakeholders that shared there views about the futility of PDP’s court action.
From the side of the Petioners, Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor countered all their claims noting that all is looking good for his political party.
