Amid the legal battle at the Edo State governorship election petition tribunal, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Edo Osahon, has alleged that leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, attempted to use some traditional rulers in the South-West to get the support of President Bola Tibubu.
However, Osahon said the alleged plan failed.
According to Osahon, as part of a last-ditch effort to influence the verdict of the tribunal, leaders of the PDP attempted to enlist the support of the traditional rulers to seek audience with Tinubu. He said the PDP planned to negotiate a favourable outcome at the tribunal.
“This desperate bid and surprising turn of events by the PDP and its candidate has ultimately fallen flat, according to our sources,” Osahon said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
The Edo APC chieftain alleged that PDP leaders have been visiting traditional rulers to help persuade Tinubu’s daughter to reach out to her father in a bid to influence the outcome of the tribunal.
He added, “What we know is that such a plan cannot work. Nobody can influence the tribunal which is made of erudite jurists. Those hoping to get to our President to help with their case are on a fruitless journey. Mr President has always allowed processes and systems to work.
“It is unheard of that some people would even sit down to think of such an unrealistic strategy.
“Before long, it was learned that there is a new plan again to disrupt the tribunal sitting in Abuja, owing to what is perceived as inability of their witnesses who failed to present proof that they won the election.”
Okpebholo of the APC was declared winner of the Edo gubernatorial election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after securing 291,667 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, who polled 247,274 votes.
PDP and Ighodalo rejected the result and filed petitions at the tribunal to challenge the outcome of the poll.
The tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, on January 17, 2025, commenced full hearing of the seven petitions challenging the declaration of Governor Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the election.