₦airaland Forum

*“Edo Tribunal Turned Law on Its Head,” Says PDP as Party Heads to Appeal Court*

- _US faults Edo election, may impose visa restrictions on officials found culpable_

The Peoples Democratic Party has rejected the judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, describing it as a miscarriage of justice that ignored overwhelming facts, twisted the law, and rewarded impunity.

Having received and studied the Certified True Copy of the judgment, the petitioners say they are now even more convinced that the Tribunal turned the law on its head to protect a rigged process. According to the PDP, the Tribunal abandoned its constitutional duty to deliver justice and instead constituted itself into a “_fourth respondent_,” inventing technicalities to sidestep the clear evidence of electoral malpractice placed before it.

“We have studied the CTC of the judgement. This judgment, with due respect to the judges involved, is a travesty. But we are not deterred. We are proceeding to the Court of Appeal with the facts, the law, and the will of the Edo people firmly on our side,” said Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, PDP Chairman in Edo State.

The PDP’s petition accused INEC of rigging the election in favour of the APC by refusing to comply with its own guidelines and by collating manipulated results across the state. According to the petition, Barrister Asue Ighodalo scored the majority of lawful votes and should have been declared the winner.

“People do not grasp the gravity of what happened in Edo,” said Barrister Anthony Ehilebo, Special Adviser on Media to Mr. Ighodalo. “Tap Initiative uncovered what was effectively an electoral coup. INEC printed a duplicate set of result sheets and used these fake documents to declare their preferred candidate. The irony is that the real results are still available to be viewed on INEC’s own IRev portal as we speak! Tap has reported this to the ICPC and called for the prosecution of the officials involved. INEC also failed to fill forms essential for guaranteeing the integrity of the elections; a responsibility the Supreme Court has said is a strict liability issue. That is what the Tribunal has now endorsed. We are duty-bound to challenge this travesty at the appellate court.”

This allegation was supported by a forensic audit published by Tap Initiative, which revealed substantial irregularities in INEC’s certified result sheets. The report found that many of the results appeared to have been filled in by a single individual rather than by different presiding officers across polling units.

A broad coalition of civil society groups and international observers have echoed these concerns. The Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership revealed how INEC’s digital infrastructure was compromised, enabling manipulation of result uploads. Yiaga Africa, in its post-election statement, cited “serious lapses in the collation process.” The Foundation for Investigative Journalism went even further, describing the election as having been “rigged for the APC by design.”

These reports appear to have found an audience in the international community. In an unusually pointed statement, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria confirmed it is following the appeal process closely, particularly in light of civil society concerns over the integrity of the vote. The Mission emphasized that transparency and due process are essential to democratic legitimacy; a signal, many observers believe, of disapproval with the Tribunal’s ruling.

Diplomatic sources suggest visa bans may be imposed on individuals implicated in undermining the electoral process or the judicial system’s role in addressing it.

Despite the ruling, the PDP maintains that the mandate of the people remains with Asue Ighodalo.

Senator Monday Okpebholo, in a public statement, extended what he described as an olive branch to his rival, calling on Ighodalo “to join hands in unity and work together for the progress of Edo State.”

But the PDP remains unmoved.

“The issue of an olive branch is premature,” said Goodluck Osaretin, a PDP stalwart. “We are talking about retrieving a stolen mandate. There can be no peace without justice.”

“Asue is coming,” Osaretin added. “Just like the governors of Zamfara, Plateau, Osun, Kano and Bayelsa who lost at the Tribunal but reclaimed their mandates at the Supreme Court, we are confident that no Tribunal, no matter how composed or compromised, can stop the will of the people.”

https://www.peoplesdailyng.com/edo-tribunal-turned-law-on-its-head-says-pdp-as-party-heads-to-appeal-court/

It is an unpardonable travesty of justice by Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal

The Appeal Court will trash this judgement with a fine against mandate thieves

Asue Ighodalo is coming

I guess they are doing what they were asked to do.

For sure. Under Ebola Tinubu, our democracy is dead.

PDP in Edo state will get justice in the appellate court....

The will of Edo people must be upheld. The
Appeal court will upturn the judgement of the tribunal court in a short while

The tribunal made a mess of substantial evidence and you wondered the people that are entrusted to uphold the laws

Tribunal affirms Sen.Monday Okpebholo as a travesty of justice to Edo people

If e favour dem, you'll hear, " justice has been served ".


If e no favour dem, you'll hear, " the court is no longer the last hope of the common man".

Okpebholo.

Now him no favor, na turn law for head...
Wen court say adeleke win...

Na win for democracy...

Mtchewwww... Which law?!! Which Tribunal?!!


Y'all should keep pretending or acting like law and order still exist in this country.

Mumus

The judiciary is always wrong whenever these fools lose but judiciary is excellent whenever they win.
Typical mindset of sore losers.

ogugwa1992:
*“Edo Tribunal Turned Law on Its Head,” Says PDP as Party Heads to Appeal Court*

- _US faults Edo election, may impose visa restrictions on officials found culpable_



https://www.peoplesdailyng.com/edo-tribunal-turned-law-on-its-head-says-pdp-as-party-heads-to-appeal-court/

interestingly, this is what nigeria has become

Justice is drunk with 40-year old whiskey
It is now available for the highest drunkard

The judiciary is now some people personal property.


They decide the judgement

Nigerian Judiciary has gone to the dogs. The legislators are puppet.
The country is now a one man show. What a pity.

What these jugdes don't know is that power must change hands one day, sooner or later, many of them will be behind bars

If dem no win democracy is in danger.

,,PDP, APC are the same, the only difference for APC now is federal might. With federal might PDP is likely to do worst.

What happened in Edo would be replicated in all opposition states, rig massively and get the stamp of authority by the judiciary

I have told people before, the voter apathy that would be witnessed in 2027 would be overwhelming because your votes would not count

Voters do not determine election winners, those that count the vote and judiciary do. The happening in Edo state confirms this

As we've refused to kee corruption,
corruption will eventually finish us...


Mark my words ☝️

Which US faults election? Opposition and some Nigerians won't stop amusing someone!

Very funny judgement on nonsense technicality. No matter what you prove to our stupid court they will still find unnecessary technicality.

animal wan dash us human right-Fela

Then they should appeal so that the court will turn the law on its stomach 😒....

When they won in Osun and Bauchi....no shaken then....

Social media opposition.

NtoAkwaIbom:
Now him no favor, na turn law for head...
Wen court say adeleke win...

Na win for democracy...

No dey disgrace yourself here, to read na issue for you.

ogugwa1992:
*“Edo Tribunal Turned Law on Its Head,” Says PDP as Party Heads to Appeal Court*

- _US faults Edo election, may impose visa restrictions on officials found culpable_



https://www.peoplesdailyng.com/edo-tribunal-turned-law-on-its-head-says-pdp-as-party-heads-to-appeal-court/

Bleep that useless godforsaken country called NIGERIA

Maxymilliano:
The tribunal made a mess of substantial evidence and you wondered the people that are entrusted to uphold the laws

Sharap. Which substantial evidence did pdp bring