By Kolawole Ojebisi
The last has not been heard of the legal fireworks initiated by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Asue Ighodalo, to wrest the reins of power from the Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo.
This is as the PDP candidate vowed to appeal the judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja, affirming Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the September 21, 2024 poll.
Ighodalo in a statement on Wednesday, stated in clear terms that he was dissatisfied with the tribunal ruling, adding that he would appeal the judgment.
“Today (Wednesday), the Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has delivered its judgment in our petition challenging the outcome of the September 21st, 2024 governorship election in our dear state,” Ighodalo stated.
“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 further stated that he had instructed his legal team to proceed to the Court of Appeal to challenge the tribunal’s decision.
“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,” Ighodalo said.
Also, the Campaign Director of the Asue/Ogie Campaign Council, Mathew Iduoriyekemwen, described the judgment as a miscarriage of justice, noting that his party and its candidate disagree with the judgment.
He 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 All Progressives Congress 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, the New Diplomat had reported how Governor Okpebholo, in his remarks, dedicated his victory to God and thanked the APC leadership for their support, adding that the tribunal judgment was a call to further transform the state.
He stated on his X handle, “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.
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and its leadership for their unwavering support and commitment to democracy. 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.”
Recall that the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member panel, in a unanimous judgment, on Wednesday, dismissed the petition of the PDP and Ighodalo for their inability to prove the allegation of over-voting, affirming that Okpebholo scored the highest number of valid votes in the election.
The tribunal faulted how the petitioners proved their evidence in relation to the allegations brought before it.
