The All Progressives Congress (APC) has requested the 2024 Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal to dismiss the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
In a motion presented by APC’s counsel, Ferdinand Orbih, SAN, on Wednesday, the party described the PDP petition as incompetent. Orbih informed the three-man panel sitting in Benin that the PDP’s petition did not comply with the relevant law and argued that the tribunal lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
He further explained that additional grounds for dismissing the petition were included in the motion paper dated November 30, which was supported by a seven-paragraph affidavit.
In response, the PDP, through its counsel, Ken Mozia, SAN, urged the tribunal to disregard the APC’s submission. Mozia explained that the PDP had filed a reply and counter-affidavit to challenge the APC’s motion.
The tribunal’s chairman, Justice Wilfred Kpochi, reserved ruling on the motion until the final day of the case. In a separate motion, APC asked the tribunal to strike out certain paragraphs in the petition filed by the PDP and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo. Orbih argued that the tribunal should deliver a ruling on this motion before hearing the main petition.
The PDP’s counsel countered, asking the tribunal to dismiss the APC’s motion for lack of merit. Justice Kpochi, however, rejected the APC’s argument, stating that rulings on all preliminary motions would be delivered on the final judgment day.
Previously, the PDP had moved four separate motions requesting the tribunal to expunge various paragraphs in the replies of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, and Okpebholo to its petition.
The tribunal adjourned until December 21 for the parties to submit a common proposal to guide the tribunal during the hearing. DAILY POST reports that the PDP is challenging the declaration of Okpebholo as the winner of the September 21 election by INEC, which stated that Okpebholo received 291,667 votes, defeating PDP’s Ighodalo, who got 247,274 votes.
