Edo 2024: Why I’ll not challenge governorship election result in court – Olumide Akpata

INEC, on 22 September, declared Monday Okpebholo as the APC winner of the 2024 Edo governorship election.

Olumide Akpata, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2024 governorship election in Edo State, says he will not challenge the election result in court.

Mr Akpata disclosed this in a statement which was published on his X handle on Saturday night.

The election result

The off-cycle governorship election was held on 21 September in the South-south state.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the poll.

INEC announced that Mr Okpebholo polled 291,667 to defeat his closest challenger and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Asue Ighodalo, who scored 247, 274 votes.

The LP candidate, Mr Akpata, came third with 22,763 votes.

Why I won’t challenge the election result

In the statement, Mr Akpata said he decided not to challenge the election outcome because such legal battles “sometimes serve to legitimise a fundamentally compromised process.”

The former Chairperson of the Nigerian Bar Association stressed that he made the decision after “extensive deliberations” with his legal team and party members.

“This choice, borne out of deep reflection and rigorous analysis, transcends mere political calculation.

“As a legal practitioner with over three decades of experience, alongside my deputy, a distinguished Senior Advocate of Nigeria, we have scrutinised every facet of this election,” he said.

“Our conclusion, reached after consulting with some of the nation’s finest legal minds, is not just about the outcome of a single election but about the very foundations of our democratic process.”

Mr Akpata also said the alleged irregularities that marred the election, such as vote-buying and questionable collation procedures, were “symptomatic of a deeper malaise afflicting our electoral system.”

The lawyer said his decision not to approach the tribunal was not “a capitulation to injustice but a resolute stand against a flawed system.”

“Instead, I commit myself to the arduous but necessary task of systemic reform. Our fight transcends the confines of a courtroom; it is a battle for the very soul of our democracy,” he stated.

Mr Akpata lamented the obstacles to challenging election outcomes in Nigeria.

“The stark reality we face is this: Nigeria’s electoral adjudication framework has become a labyrinth where justice is often lost to technicalities.

“The burden of proof placed on petitioners is not just high; it is often insurmountable,” he said.

Continuing, the LP candidate said: “Moreover, the custodianship of crucial electoral materials by INEC, which is itself a necessary party and defendant in election petitions, presents practical challenges in building a compelling case within stipulated time frames.

“These factors, combined with my vision for a more robust democratic framework, have informed my strategic decision to focus on grassroots mobilisation and advocacy for electoral reform.”

‘I have no alliance with APC’

Speculation has been rife lately that Mr Akpata was in alliance with the APC and that his unwillingness to challenge the election outcome was due to the alleged alliance.

But the LP candidate, in the statement, refuted the speculation.

“I want to be crystal clear: these allegations are not just false; they are a malicious attempt to tarnish my reputation and the principles I stand for.

“These rumours are not just an attack on me but on the collective aspirations of every Edo citizen yearning for genuine change,” he said.

Mr Akpata claimed the APC has a history of poor governance in Edo and beyond, including alleged disregard for the rule of law.

He said contemplating an alliance with such a party “would be a betrayal of everything” that he had fought for and represented.

“My decision not to contest the election results at the tribunal is not an indication of compromise; rather, it is a strategic move aimed at redirecting our energies toward systemic changes that our democracy desperately needs,” he said.

The lawyer said he would now direct his energy to advocate overhauling Nigeria’s electoral laws and processes and creating a “formidable opposition” in Edo State to hold the government accountable.