The Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal on Wednesday threw out the petition instituted against Governor Monday Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress, APC, by the Action Alliance (AA) and one Adekunle Rufai Omoaje for lacking in merit and being frivolous.
The tribunal, in its first judgment on Wednesday, held that Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, who filed the joint petition, had no locus standi to institute the case, as his petition was not based on election-related matters.
The panel held that Omoaje did not participate in the governorship election and, as such, had no power to question the validity of the election.
It also held, among others, that Omoaje’s grievance that he was not recognized as the National Chairman of the Action Alliance for the purpose of nominating candidates for the poll had no basis in the Electoral Act of 2022.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared Okpebholo of the APC as winner of the Edo State Governorship Election with 291,667 votes.
His closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Asue Ighodalo, polled 247,655 votes in the election.
