The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the September 21, 2024 election in Edo State, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, have reaffirmed their decision to appeal the April 2 ruling of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which upheld the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo winner of the hotly contested poll, a declaration the PDP has consistently rejected, citing widespread electoral irregularities, including allegations of vote rigging, result manipulation, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act. Dr. Ighodalo subsequently filed a petition to challenge the outcome at the tribunal.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee Chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, and a media aide to Ighodalo, Barr. Anthony Ehilebo, disclosed that the party and its candidate had received and reviewed the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the tribunal’s judgment. According to them, the decision to proceed to the Court of Appeal is now even more compelling, given the contents of the ruling which they say contradict both legal precedent and the evidence presented.
Dr. Aziegbemi described the judgment as a “miscarriage of justice,” asserting that it “twisted the law, ignored overwhelming facts, and rewarded impunity.” He further claimed the tribunal abandoned its constitutional responsibility to deliver justice, instead adopting the posture of a “fourth respondent” by using technicalities to evade the substance of the petition. “This judgment, with due respect to the judges, is a travesty,” Aziegbemi declared. “We are not deterred. We are proceeding to the Court of Appeal with the facts, the law, and the will of the Edo people firmly on our side.”
Barr. Ehilebo, in his remarks, lamented what he described as the public’s limited understanding of the alleged infractions during the election. He specifically accused INEC of failing to complete essential electoral forms meant to guarantee the integrity of the process—a lapse which, according to him, the Supreme Court has previously held to be a strict liability matter. “That is what the tribunal has now endorsed,” he said. “We are duty-bound to challenge this travesty at the appellate court.”
Echoing similar sentiments, PDP stalwart Goodluck Osaretin insisted that despite the ruling, the party remains convinced that “the mandate of the people remains with Asue Ighodalo.” He dismissed Senator Okpebholo’s reported offer of reconciliation as “premature,” emphasizing that the PDP’s focus is on “retrieving a stolen mandate.” According to him, “No tribunal can stop the will of the people. Asue is coming.”
The PDP’s strong statements signal what may be a protracted legal and political battle in the coming months as the party seeks to overturn the tribunal’s decision and reclaim what it describes as a stolen victory.