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Tag: Edo governorship tribunal

  • JUST IN: Gunshots cause panic at Edo governorship tribunal sitting

    JUST IN: Gunshots cause panic at Edo governorship tribunal sitting

    Gunshots erupted near the venue of the Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led, three-member Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal on Wednesday morning, causing widespread panic.

    Lawyers, litigants, politicians, and reporters scrambled for safety to avoid being hit by stray bullets. 

    However, swift intervention by fully-armed security operatives restored calm, allowing the tribunal sitting at the Edo High Court Complex on Sapele Road, Benin, to continue.

    Edo APC Chairman Jarret Tenebe, condemned the incident, describing the shootings as deeply disturbing and unacceptable.

    Tenebe said: “The tribunal is a sacred space, where justice is meant to be administered impartially. Any act of violence within its walls undermines the very foundation of our legal system and threatens the safety of all involved.

    “Regardless of political affiliation, resorting to violence to resolve disputes is never justifiable. We must all condemn the shootings in the strongest possible terms.”

    Read Also: Edo governorship tribunal begins as PDP, APC gear up for legal battle

    Edo chairman of APC also stated that violence had no place in a civilised society, while declaring that the people that were responsible for the heinous act must be brought to justice swiftly and without exception.

    The former representative of Edo Central Senatorial District, Senator Monday Okpebholo, of the APC, won the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo, and was inaugurated on November 12 last year.

    Seven of 18 political parties that participated in the election, which filed petitions at the tribunal, were Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Accord (A), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Action Alliance (AA), which wanted their candidates to be declared winner of the keenly-contested poll.

    Details shortly… 

  • Edo governorship tribunal begins as PDP, APC gear up for legal battle

    Edo governorship tribunal begins as PDP, APC gear up for legal battle

    The Edo Governorship Election Petition Tribunal begins today, Monday, in Benin City, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) set for a decisive legal contest over the outcome of the September 21 gubernatorial election.

    The case has generated mixed reactions across the state, with PDP supporters expressing optimism.

    PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, is contesting the election results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging collusion between INEC and the APC to manipulate the process. 

    The petition outlines alleged irregularities, including violations of the Electoral Act, inflated APC votes in strongholds, and unlawful cancellation of PDP votes in key local government areas.

    PDP spokesperson Barrister Tony Ehilebo, speaking ahead of the tribunal’s first sitting, expressed confidence in the party’s case.

    “We have presented overwhelming evidence to prove that the election was rigged. We are confident the tribunal will restore the mandate stolen from the people of Edo and reaffirm the integrity of our democracy,” he said.

    Read Also: Edo governorship election tribunal receives seven petitions against Okpebholo’s victory

    However, the APC dismissed the claims as unfounded. Chief Alex Okosun, an APC chieftain, described the challenge as “sacrilegious,” urging Ighodalo to accept the results.

    “Politicians must stop litigating every election. Asue is Sen. Monday Okpebholo’s Esan brother. He should let bygones be bygones and join the Governor to move Edo forward. We have finally gotten an Esan governor; that is the main thing,” Okosun stated, maintaining confidence in the legitimacy of Governor Okpebholo’s mandate.

    As proceedings commence, the tribunal faces intense scrutiny, with many viewing the case as a critical test of Nigeria’s judiciary and its role in protecting democratic integrity.