PDP to appeal Edo Election Petitions Tribunal judgment

By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it will appeal the Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal judgment affirming the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, described the tribunal’s judgment as a miscarriage of justice.

Ologunagba said that the PDP national leadership, after a thorough review of the judgment, concluded that the verdict betrayed the trust Nigerians, particularly the people of Edo, had invested in the tribunal.

He said that the evidence presented to the tribunal made it clear that PDP’s candidate, Dr Asue Ighodalo, won the governorship election on September 21, 2024, having scored the highest number of valid votes cast in the election.

The PDP spokesman said it was disturbing that despite the overwhelming evidence and findings by the tribunal, it contradicted itself by reaching a conclusion that was at variance with its own findings.

He further stated that democracy could only thrive in an atmosphere of adherence to the rule of law and adjudication of issues. This, Ologunagba said, could only be accepted by people when a tribunal of such nature impartially applied the law, the facts and the body of evidence made available to it during proceedings.

“However, consistent with PDP’s avowed belief in the judiciary’s capacity to, in appropriate cases, ensure that Justice is done, our party and candidate, Ighodalo, are proceeding to the Court of Appeal.

“We believe that there will be a conscientious judicial review of the matter to give justice to the people of Edo State,” he said.

Ologunagba called on the state’s people to remain resolute and not allow the tribunal’s verdict to dampen their confidence in the judiciary and democracy in Nigeria as they await the restoration of Ighodalo’s mandate.