- Tension rises in Edo State as APC and PDP clash over the relocation of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal from Benin City to Abuja
- The APC accuses the PDP of pressuring for the tribunal’s move to manipulate proceedings, while the PDP claims the relocation is a safety measure amid threats
- As the tribunal resumes in Abuja on 28th January 2025, both parties prepare for an intense legal battle over the Edo State governorship election
The political climate in Edo State has grown increasingly tense, with the state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) engaging in a war of words over the relocation of the state’s Governorship Election Petition Tribunal from Benin City to Abuja.
The tribunal, which has been hearing petitions regarding the recent Edo State governorship election, was relocated following a notice issued to the parties involved on January 24, 2025.
The notice, signed by the tribunal’s secretary Mu'azu Ibrahim, confirmed that the tribunal would move to the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja, effective from Monday, January 27, 2025.
The notice simply stated: “I am directed to notify all parties that the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City, Edo State, has been relocated to Abuja at the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Airport Road, Abuja, effective from Monday, 27th January 2025.”
While no official reason was provided for the move, speculation has centred around previous disturbances that have occurred at the court premises in Benin City, which may have played a role in the decision.
APC claims PDP’s pressure led to relocation
In response to the move, the Edo State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, accused the PDP of orchestrating the relocation in a bid to manipulate proceedings.
He claimed that the PDP’s decision to pressure for the tribunal’s relocation stemmed from the poor performance of their witnesses in court.
Uwadiae-Igbinigie stated: "The relocation was due to pressure from the PDP camp. First, they claimed that their witnesses did not feel free in the environment to come and give evidence. That is a far cry from the truth because their witnesses have access to the court."
He further remarked that the PDP’s witnesses had failed to contribute anything of value to their case, asserting that they had "reduced to mere nothingness" in the eyes of the tribunal.
He also suggested that the PDP was hoping that relocating the case to Abuja would reduce the media scrutiny surrounding their witnesses’ credibility.
“We are not deterred by this. We have a compact case and a legal team who are vast in handling election matters. We will meet them headlong, and our legal team is ready to meet them headlong at the tribunal,” he concluded.
PDP argues relocation is a safety measure
The PDP, however, strongly denied these claims. Chris Nehikhare, the publicity secretary of the state PDP caretaker committee, argued that the tribunal’s relocation was due to the serious pressure and threats faced by the tribunal’s proceedings in Benin City.
He accused APC chieftains of attempting to disrupt the proceedings, and suggested that the tribunal's decision to move to a more neutral and secure location was necessary for the sake of justice.
Nehikhare said: “Given the nature of the case and the volume of concrete evidence presented by the witnesses, the tribunal reckoned that it would be unsafe to continue the proceedings in Benin City, following undue pressure and several threats by notable APC chieftains in Edo State to disrupt the tribunal proceedings.”
He continued: “It is believed that a neutral and more secured location not under the control of state and non-state actors was necessary in the interests of justice.”
The tribunal is set to resume its proceedings in Abuja on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, with both parties gearing up for what is expected to be a heated continuation of the legal battle over the Edo State governorship election.
As the dispute intensifies, all eyes will be on Abuja to see how the tribunal's decision unfolds in the coming days.
“Our fight goes beyond the courtroom”: Akpata explains decision not to challenge election results
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the Labour Party's gubernatorial candidate in the just concluded Edo State election, Olumide Akpata has announced that he will not challenge the election results and explained his rationale.
In a statement released on Saturday, October 12, Akpata, the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), who came third in the election with 22,763 votes expressed his stance, citing electoral malpractice and irregularities in the exercise.
