Toba Owojaiye reporting
Benin City, Edo State
The Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has delivered a scathing assessment of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and embattled Governor Monday Okpebholo, declaring that the ruling party has been thrown into total disarray after failing to defend what it calls the “brazen heist” of the September 21, 2024, governorship election.
In a blistering statement, made available to Truth Live News and other media houses, the Publicity Secretary of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, Chris Nehikhare, accused the APC of resorting to “outlandish propaganda, twisting facts, and telling unintelligent lies” to distract from its legal failure at the Tribunal.
The tribunal proceedings in Abuja have so far been nothing short of disastrous for the APC. INEC, the very institution that declared Okpebholo the winner, has refused to defend its own actions, failing to call a single witness after earlier promises to do so.
Adding to the APC’s woes, when Okpebholo finally attempted to mount a defense on Monday, his team could only produce one witness, whose testimony turned out to be a self-inflicted wound. Under cross-examination, the witness shockingly admitted that over-voting had occurred, dealing a severe blow to the governor’s already crumbling case.
Realizing the catastrophic impact of their own witness’s statement, Okpebholo’s lawyers abruptly shut down their defense, effectively fleeing the tribunal in full retreat.
With their case collapsing, the APC, as the third respondent in the petition, was left scrambling. In a desperate bid to buy time, APC lawyers pleaded for an adjournment, prompting the tribunal to shift proceedings to Wednesday, February 12.
Instead of re-evaluating their doomed legal strategy, APC leaders have now embarked on a shameless campaign of misinformation, aggressively pushing false narratives in the media to rewrite the tribunal’s damning reality.
Nehikhare dismissed the APC’s propaganda offensive, insisting that the overwhelming weight of evidence before the tribunal would ultimately nullify Okpebholo’s fraudulent mandate.
“The evidence is irrefutable: BVAS records, IREV data, and Certified True Copies (CTCs) all confirm the election was rigged,” Nehikhare stated. “Okpebholo has no business sitting as governor. Nigerians saw the daylight robbery of September 21 firsthand, and they are keenly watching the tribunal proceedings unfold.”
He emphasized that the people of Edo State are awaiting justice, urging the judiciary to correct the injustice and restore the mandate to Asue Ighodalo and the PDP, who overwhelmingly won the election before it was allegedly manipulated.
With the tribunal resuming on February 12, all eyes are on what comes next. If Okpebholo’s legal team cannot present a compelling defense—which, so far, seems highly unlikely—his governorship could be declared illegitimate, and a fresh election or outright mandate reversal could follow.
INEC’s silence and APC’s legal meltdown suggest that they know the truth: The September 21 election was a farce, and the house of cards is falling fast.
The Edo APC, once boasting of victory, now finds itself cornered, humiliated, and unable to defend the very result it claimed was legitimate. The PDP has made it clear: no amount of delay tactics, misinformation, or media spin will alter the facts.
As the legal battle intensifies, the question is no longer whether the APC can defend its so-called victory, but rather: how much longer can they stall before the inevitable collapse?