Gunshots disrupted the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which began hearing on Wednesday in Benin City, the state capital.
Hoodlums were also reportedly seen outside the turbo-charged venue of the tribunal where gunshots rent the air, leaving people to scamper for safety.
The tribunal had commenced hearing on the petitions challenging the September 21, 2024, Edo governorship election where Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared as the winner. The main challenger at the tribunal is Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The electoral umpire INEC had declared Okpebholo winner of the poll with 291,667 votes, Ighodalo was said to have polled 247,274 votes while Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) came a distant third in the race with 22,763 votes.
Meanwhile, the PDP and the APC in the South-South state have traded words over the shooting incident at the tribunal venue.
APC Chairman in the state, Emperor Jarret Tenebe, alleged that the “disturbing and unacceptable” incident was carried out by members of the PDP.
He said, “The Tribunal is a sacred space where justice is meant to be administered impartially. Any act of violence within its walls undermines the very foundation of our legal system and threatens the safety of all involved.
“Regardless of political affiliation, resorting to violence to resolve disputes is never justifiable. We must all condemn such actions in the strongest possible terms.
“Violence has no place in a civilized society, and those responsible for this heinous act must be brought to justice swiftly and without exception.”
However, the Chairman of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, Anthony Aziegbemi, refuted the claims of the APC, accusing the party of sponsoring thugs to disrupt the tribunal.
Credit: channelstv.com
