‘Edo Election Petition Tribunal turned law on its head,’ – PDP — News — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, describing the ruling as a miscarriage of justice that ignored compelling evidence and rewarded electoral malpractice.

Following a review of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, the PDP said it was now even more convinced that the Tribunal had “turned the law on its head” to protect what it described as a rigged electoral process.

READ MORE: Edo election: Tribunal declines to nullify Okpebholo’s victory

According to the party, the Tribunal abandoned its constitutional duty to deliver justice and instead became a “fourth respondent,” inventing technicalities to sidestep clear evidence of electoral fraud.

“This judgment, with due respect to the judges involved, is a travesty,” said Dr Tony Aziegbemi, Chairman of the PDP in Edo State. “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.”

The PDP’s petition had accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of manipulating the process in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that the Commission violated its own guidelines and collated doctored results. The party insisted its candidate, Barrister Asue Ighodalo, scored the majority of lawful votes and should have been declared winner.

READ MORE: Edo election: Tribunal delivers judgment on PDP’s petition

“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 on INEC’s own IReV portal as we speak.”

Ehilebo noted that Tap Initiative has filed a report with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), urging prosecution of those involved. He also accused INEC of failing to complete forms crucial for ensuring electoral integrity—forms the Supreme Court has ruled constitute a strict liability issue.

A forensic audit commissioned by Tap Initiative found widespread irregularities in the result sheets certified by INEC, concluding that many had been filled by a single hand rather than by various presiding officers as required by law.

READ MORE: Ighodalo reaffirms trust in judiciary amid Edo tribunal tensions

These claims have been echoed by several civil society groups and election observers. The Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership alleged that INEC’s digital systems were compromised, allowing manipulation of uploaded results. Yiaga Africa cited “serious lapses in the collation process” in its post-election statement, while the Foundation for Investigative Journalism described the election as having been “rigged for the APC by design.”

The controversy has also drawn attention from the international community. In an unusually candid statement, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria said it was following the appeal process closely in light of civil society concerns. The Mission stressed that transparency and due process remain essential for democratic legitimacy—a comment interpreted by observers as a sign of disapproval with the Tribunal’s ruling.

Diplomatic sources suggest visa restrictions may be considered against individuals found to have undermined the electoral process or interfered with judicial independence.

READ MORE: Edo election and proxy agent masquerading as civil society activist

Despite the Tribunal’s ruling, the PDP insists the mandate of the Edo electorate remains with Asue Ighodalo.

In a conciliatory gesture, Senator Monday Okpebholo, the declared winner of the poll, publicly invited Ighodalo to “join hands in unity and work together for the progress of Edo State.”

But the PDP dismissed the call.

“The issue of an olive branch is premature,” said party stalwart Goodluck Osaretin. “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.”