Governor Monday Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have won round one in the series of the peitions challenging their declaration as winners of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo state.
A petition instituted against them by the Action Alliance (AA) and one Adekunle Rufai Omoaje was thrown out by the Edo State Governorship Election Peition Tribunal for lacking in merit and being frivolous.
GALAXY TV reports that in the first judgment of the Tribunal on Wednesday, it was held that Adekunle Rufai Omoaje who filed the joint petition has no locus standi to Institute the case.
Among others, the Tribunal held that Omoaje did not participate in the governorship election and as such has no power to question the validity of the election.
The Tribunal also held that Omoaje’s grouse against the election was that he was not recognized as the National Chairman of the Action Alliance for the purpose of nominating candidate for the poll but it was held that his claims have no basis in the Electoral Act 2022.
Omoaje had in the petition asked the Tribunal to declare the declaration of Okpebholo and APC as winners of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC as illegal, unlawful, unconditional and null and void on non compliance with the Electoral Act.
He also alleged corruption and that Okpebholo and APC did not win majority of lawful votes in the election.
Omoaje also alleged that AA was not allowed to nominate a lawful governorship candidate for the election having not signed nomination form as the National Chairman of the party.
INEC had declared that Okpebholo of the APC won 291, 667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, who polled 247, 655 votes in the election
