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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has filed a petition to challenge the outcome of the recent governorship election in Edo State.
The PDP announced the development at a press conference in Benin on Monday, October 14, 2024.
Tony Aziegbemi, the party’s state chairman, said the petition was filed on Saturday, August 12, adding that the party narrowly beat the deadline for the petition.
Aziegbemi accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of attempting to frustrate the PDP’s right to challenge the election at the tribunal.
The party chairman also alleged that the electoral body deliberately delayed the release of the Certified True Copies of electoral materials, saying “despite INEC acting as the political wing of the APC, we were still able to do the needful.”
He urged the people of Edo State and members of the party to remain hopeful, assuring them the party’s mandate would be reclaimed.
“We have filed our petition before the election tribunal on your behalf. I assure you that the journey to reclaim our mandate has begun, and by God’s grace, it will be retrieved,” the party chairman said.
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He, however, denied the claim that the PDP disrupted the inspection of electoral materials at the INEC office.
“In whose interest would it be to disrupt a process we applied for and were granted permission by the court to carry out?” he queried.
Aziegbemi further claimed that more PDP members have been arrested post-election, adding that those accused in connection with the killing of Inspector Akor Onuh have been released.
According to him, the accused were released after paying about ₦64 million in bail.
The Edo governorship election was keenly contested between the PDP and the APC but the latter's candidate, Senator Monday Okpebhole was declared the winner of the poll.