Oshiomhole and Ihonvbere triumph in Edo’s election tribunal

Sen. Adams Oshiomhole’s victory in the election for the Edo North Senatorial District on February 25 was affirmed by the National/State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal, which is based in Benin.

The panel also confirmed Rep. Ihonvbere Julius’ election to represent the Owan Federal Constituency on behalf of the APC.

The plea submitted by former senator and PDP member Francis Alimikhena was rejected by the three-person panel, which was presided over by Justice O.A. Chuioke, for lack of merit.

Alimikhena filed a lawsuit against Sen Oshiomhole, the former governor of the state, together with INEC and the APC, under the case number EPT/ED/SEN/02/2023 through his attorney, Mr. Rasak Isenalume.

The first petitioner, Alimikhena, requested in his petition that the tribunal deem Oshiomhole’s election invalid due to his failure to follow the law’s requirements and declare him the election’s victor.

Additionally, he urged the tribunal to annul the election of the former APC National Chairman due to claimed BIVAS machine failure to transmit election results to the IREV Portal.

In the alternative, Alimikhena requested that the tribunal order a new election because there had been grave legal violations.

However, lawyers for the respondents urged the tribunal to dismiss the petitioners’ complaint for lack of merit in their respective submissions.

Justice Alero Akeredolu, the tribunal’s chairman, delivered the unanimous decision on behalf of the panel and stated that the petitioners had utterly failed to establish their case. He also stated that they could not have relied on the strength or weakness of the respondents to support their claims against Oshiomhole.

The petitioners, according to Justice Akeredolu, failed to present any pertinent documents to the tribunal to support the allegations of non-compliance in their petitions.

As a result, the Tribunal completely dismissed the petition against Oshiomhole.

The tribunal also rejected a challenge to INEC’s proclamation of Ihonvbere as the winner of the Owan Federal Constituency brought by Jimoh Iruokhaime Ijiegbai Ojeiu and PDP.

The tribunal also agreed with the claim made by Ihonvbere’s lead attorney, Mr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN), that Ojeiu’s petition was completely invalid.

Ojeiu and the PDP are the petition’s first and second signatories, with the designation EPT/ED/HR/03/2023.