PDP rejects Edo Guber tribunal judgment

…Insists Asue Ighodalo won the Poll

By Tunde Opalana

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the judgement of the Edo Stare Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which uphold the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

After a thorough review of the judgment delivered on Wednesday, the party leadership asserted 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.”

Hon. Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary of the party in a statement on Thursday said 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 the September 21, 2024 Edo State Governorship election, having scored the highest number of valid votes cast in the election.”

The PDP in the statement said”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 own 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.

READ ALSO: Tribunal affirms Gov. Okpebholo as duly elected Edo state Governor

“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.”

However, the party called 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 the PDP and candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo at the election.