Edo APC, PDP Trade Blame Over Relocation Of Governorship Election Tribunal

The Edo State chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have clashed over the recent relocation of the state’s governorship election petition tribunal from Benin City to Abuja.

In a notice dated January 24, 2025, and signed by the tribunal secretary, Mu’azu Ibrahim, parties were informed that the tribunal will now sit at the National Judicial Institute (NJI), Airport Road, Abuja, effective Monday, January 27, 2025.

The notice 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.”

No official reason was provided for the relocation, but speculation links the move to disturbances that have previously occurred at the tribunal’s premises in Benin City.

APC Alleges PDP Manipulation

Reacting to the development, the Edo State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, accused the PDP of masterminding the relocation to gain undue advantage.

He said, “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.

“Principally, they have discovered to their serious surprise that the witnesses they so much relied on have been reduced to mere nothingness in court, as they have not been able to add value to the PDP case with their pieces of evidence.

“They also feel that the media attention their fumbling witnesses are getting is not doing their case any good and they have been insisting that they want to go to an environment where interest and publicity will be reduced. Not too many people will want to go to Abuja for the case.

“We are not deterred by this. We have a compact case and we have a legal team who are vast in handling election matters. We are not disturbed. We will meet them headlong and our legal team is ready to meet them headlong at the tribunal.”

In response, the publicity secretary of the state PDP caretaker committee, Chris Nehikhare, in a chat with Punch, said the concrete evidence presented by his party, which has led to undue pressure from APC chieftains, must have led to the relocation of the tribunal.

He 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.

“It is believed that a neutral and more secured location not under the control of state and nonstate actors was necessary in the interests of justice.”

The tribunal will resume sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, January 28, 2025.

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