Suspected thugs opened fire near the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday, as hearings resumed for petitions challenging Senator Monday Okpebholo’s victory in the September 21, 2024 election.
The incident occurred around 7 a.m. at Exotic Junction, close to the State High Court in Benin. A viral video showed a man in a white T-shirt branded with “AI” brandishing a pump-action gun and shouting, “Return mandate! Return our mandate!” The commotion caused workers and traders to flee in panic.
Reacting to the violence, the acting chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Emperor Jarret Tenebe, condemned the act, calling it a threat to justice. “The tribunal is a sacred space where justice must be administered impartially. Resorting to violence undermines our legal system and threatens public safety,” he stated, urging authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable.
Conversely, the caretaker chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tony Azeigbemi, accused the APC of orchestrating the violence to disrupt the PDP’s legal challenge. He alleged that APC thugs, disguised in PDP-branded attire, attempted to tarnish his party’s reputation. “This shameful incident is another desperate attempt by the APC to frustrate the legal process,” he said, reiterating the PDP’s commitment to a lawful resolution and calling for the arrest of the gunman seen in the video.
Efforts to elicit a response from the police were unsuccessful; calls and messages sent to the command’s spokesman, CSP Moses Yamu, went unanswered by the time of this report.
Meanwhile, the tribunal, chaired by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, began hearings with witnesses for the Accord Party (AP). Zakaria Wisdom Yahaya testified about irregularities during the election in his polling unit. The AP’s candidate, Dr. Bright Enabulele, presented three witnesses through his counsel, J.A. Dagher, to support his petition.
The tribunal adjourned Dr. Asue Ighodalo and the PDP’s petition to January 17 for a pre-hearing meeting on document presentation. The AP’s case was adjourned to today for continuation.
