The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Edo State has reserved judgment in the Action Alliance’s (AA) petition challenging the results of the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
The hearing took place on Tuesday in Abuja, presided over by Justice Wilfred Kpochi and a panel of two additional members.
Following a session where legal representatives presented their arguments, the tribunal announced that the date for delivering its judgment would be communicated to the parties involved.
Adewale Adebayo, counsel for the petitioner, urged the court to accept all arguments made on behalf of his client and grant the requested reliefs. Conversely, legal representatives for the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and Governor Monday Okpebholo—led by Anthony Umeri and Linda Chuba-Ikpeazu—sought the dismissal of the petition. They contended that the case was an abuse of court process and lacked merit.
While the petitions were jointly filed by the parties and their candidates, this particular case saw Mr. Adekunle Omoaje, National Chairman of AA, submit a solo petition. Omoaje asserted that INEC had failed to recognize the party’s nominated candidate for the governorship election. He also emphasized that despite obtaining a court judgment affirming his position as National Chairman, INEC had not acknowledged him as such.
Omoaje’s petition centers on the exclusion of his candidate from the election process, and he calls upon the tribunal to officially recognize him as the party’s National Chairman.