Political thugs for the second time in a row on Thursday, 16 January, 2025 invaded the Edo State governorship election tribunal sitting venue.
The thugs were said to have attempted to disrupt the tribunal process at the state’s High Court Complex on Sapele Road, Benin.
The desperate thugs tried to force themselves into the venue of the sitting of Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member Edo tribunal, but were resisted by the security personnel.
Shouting, “Give us back out mandate”, the thugs were swiftly repelled by security operatives deployed to the location.
In a similar move, the heavily thugs for the second time tried to attack the tribunal sitting.
However, the governorship candidate in the 2023 election, Asue Ighalodalo has said that he is not deterred by the activities of the thugs.
On Wednesday, 15 January, 2025, some thugs invaded the same venue shouting sporadically into the air.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the September 21, 2024 Edo governorship election, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, yesterday opened their case by tendering over one thousand documents, in support of their petition, alleging that the poll that was won by Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was marred by irregularities.
PDP and Ighodalo claimed that they scored the highest number of valid votes cast during the keenly-contested election, while their lead counsel, Adetunji Oyeyipo, SAN, tendered Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the documents and forms in support of the petition.
Lead counsel of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Okpebholo and APC (first to third respondents), Kanu Agabi, SAN, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, and D.C. Denwigwe, SAN, who held the brief of Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, objected to the admissibility of the documents. They said they would give reasons for their objection at the final-address stage.
Hearing in PDP and Ighodalo’s petition would continue today (Saturday), with the petitioners likely to tender more documents.
