EDO TRIBUNAL: PDP FINALLY CONCEDE DEFEAT, SAYS WE ARE ONLY CONTESTING 16.7% OF THE ENTIRE POLLING UNIT IN THE STATE
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday, at the resumed hearing of the Edo State Governorship Election Tribunal in Abuja, admitted before Justice Wilfred Kpochi led 3 member tribunal, to losing the Edo 2024 Governorship Election to the All Progressive Congress (APC).
This admittance of defeat became glaring, as the Star Witness and counsel to the PDP and Asue Ighodalo told the court, that they are only challenging the electoral outcome in 765 Polling Units out of the 4,198 Polling Units in the state, representing an insignificant 16.7% of the entire polling units in the state.
This statement by the PDP counsel and their witnesses has further validated claims in many quarters that the PDP has no case but merely wasting the court’s time, all in a bid to stay relevant.
The number of polling units being challenged by the PDP is insignificant, and the outcome, irrespective, would have no bearing whatsoever on the final result declared by INEC.
Also worrisome is the reoccurring inability of the PDP to make their witnesses appear before the tribunal as scheduled, a scenario that is delaying the smooth running of the tribunal process.
Another worrisome dimension to the PDP’s case is the credibility of their witnesses. Aside from submitting unsigned documents as evidence, relying on 3rd person’s reports in filing statements, the Star Witness, Mr. ose Anenih also admitted before the tribunal that he was not accredited by INEC to perform any function during the election.
This revelation further throws doubts over the legitimacy and integrity of his testimony, putting further cracks to the already weakened case of the PDP.
The PDP, conceding defeat at the tribunal, only reaffirms what has been in public knowledge since the September 21st, 2024 Edo Governorship Election, that Edo people massively voted for the APC and Senator Monday Okpebbholo
As the tribunal resumes sitting today, political observers and analysts say it is only but an academic exercise as 16.7 % was too insignificant to cause an upset or upturned the result as declared by INEC.
They urged Governor Monday Okpebholo to focus on delivering dividends of democracy to the people of the state, as the new evidence reveals that, the PDP were merely in court to remain in the news and distract the governor from performing his duties