EDO GUBER TRIBUNAL JUDGMENT BETRAYS JUDICIAL IMPARTIALITY — PDP
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The National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has described the judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal as a judicial Impartiality.
According to the PDP, after a thorough review, the matter was deemed an absolute miscarriage of justice and a complete betrayal of the trust Nigerians, particularly the people of Edo State, invested in the Election Tribunal.
In a statement on Thursday by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party insisted that with the overwhelming evidence properly presented and also duly admitted by the Tribunal, it was clear that its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, won the September 21, 2024 Edo State Governorship election, having scored the highest number of valid votes cast in the election.
The party has said that it was proceeding to the Court of Appeal alongside its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, to ensure that justice is done. They added that they believe that at the Court, there will be a conscientious judicial review of the matter to give justice to the people of Edo State.
Recall that the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja upheld the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Wednesday.
The tribunal, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel, found no reason to nullify the outcome of the governorship contest held in the state on September 21, 2024.
The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, who delivered the lead judgement, dismissed as lacking in merit a petition the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo, filed to challenge the declaration of Governor Okpebholo as the valid winner of the gubernatorial poll.
PDP’s statement read, “The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after a thorough review of the judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, asserts that the verdict is an absolute miscarriage of justice and a complete betrayal of the trust Nigerians, particularly the people of Edo State invested in the Election Tribunal.
“The PDP insists that with the avalanche of evidence as properly presented and also duly admitted by the Tribunal; it was clear that its candidate, Dr Asue Ighodalo, won September 21, 2024, Edo State Governorship election, having scored the highest number of valid votes cast in the election.
“It is very disturbing that despite the overwhelming evidence and findings by the Tribunal that the PDP was robbed of its clear victory at the election through manipulations including wrongful allocation of votes to the All Progressives Congress (APC), arbitrary and illegal cancellation of valid votes won by the PDP, the Election Tribunal contradicted itself by coming to a conclusion that is at variance with its findings.
“More distressing is that this judgment by the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal constitutes a major threat to the confidence Nigerians have in democracy and adjudication of electoral matters.
“It is instructive to note that democracy can only thrive in an atmosphere of adherence to the Rule of Law and adjudication of issues which can only be accepted by the people when indeed a tribunal of such nature impartially apply the law, the facts and body of evidence made available to it at proceedings.
“However, consistent with PDP’s avowed belief in the capacity of the judiciary to, in appropriate cases, ensure that justice is done, our Party and candidate, Dr Asue Ighodalo, are proceeding to the Court of Appeal where we believe that there will be a conscientious judicial review of the matter to give justice to the people of Edo State.
“In the meantime, the PDP calls on the people of Edo State to remain resolute and not allow the verdict of the Election Tribunal to dampen their confidence in the institution of the Judiciary and democracy in Nigeria as they await the restoration of the mandate they freely gave to our Party and candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo at the election.”
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