The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Edo State has reserved judgment in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Mr Asue Ighodalo.
Ighodalo is challenging the outcome of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in the state.
The Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member tribunal reserved the judgment on Monday after the counsel in the matter adopted their final written addresses.
According to Justice Kpochi, a date for judgment will be communicated to the parties by the secretary of the tribunal.
“The tribunal stands adjourned until then,” he said.
At the resumed hearing of the matter, the counsel to the petitioners, Mr Adetunji Oyeyipo (SAN), told the tribunal that the business of the day was for adoption of final written addresses.
The counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Kanu Agabi (SAN), proceeded to adopt the final address of his client.
Agabi, by way of adumbrating, prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petition for lacking in merit.
He said this was based on the grounds that the tribunal could not annul the September 21, 2024, governorship election because it was not one of the reliefs sought by the petitioners.
The senior lawyer also told the tribunal that it could not declare the petitioners as winners of that election in the light of their own assertion that the election was invalid.
Speaking on the claim of non-compliance pleaded by the petitioners, Agabi said it was weak as it was not accompanied by the appropriate relief which was the nullification of the election.
He also said that the claim of majority of lawful votes pleaded by the petitioners could not avail them since their other claim was that the election was invalid.
He also argued that the number of polling unit agents called as witnesses represented an insignificant or even negligible per cent of the number of polling units in Edo State.
The PDP and its governorship candidate, Mr Asue Ighodalo, approached the tribunal, praying it to invalidate the outcome of the governorship election on the grounds of alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.
They further contended that Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of majority votes cast in that election. NAN
