Election Tribunal: Okpebholo Making Baseless Allegations Due To Desperation – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo‘s allegation about moves to bribe the state Election Tribunal as a blatant lie.

Naija News that the Publicity Secretary Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, Chris Osa Nehikhare, in a statement on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, titled, ‘Senator Okpebholo resorts to fabrications and fear-mongering’, asserted that the governor is making baseless allegations due to desperation.

While condemning the allegations, the opposition party stated that they were false and a calculated attempt to intimidate the judiciary, mislead the public, and undermine confidence in the legal process.

The party said there is no truth to Okpebholo’s insinuation that money is being “mopped up” to bribe the tribunal, stressing it is deliberately concocted to cast aspersions on the judiciary and preemptively discredit any ruling that does not favour him.

The PDP calls on the tribunal to take due note of Okpebholo’s remarks not because they hold any merit but because they expose his desperation and willingness to subvert due process for political gain.

The statement reads, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Edo State Chapter, strongly condemns the reckless and unfounded allegations made by Senator Monday Okpebholo of moves to bribe the Edo State Election Tribunal. His comments, made during a recent television interview, are not only false but also a calculated attempt to intimidate the judiciary, mislead the public, and undermine confidence in the legal process.

“We categorically state that there is no truth whatsoever to Okpebholo’s insinuation that money is being “mopped up” to bribe the tribunal. This is a blatant lie, deliberately concocted to cast aspersions on the judiciary and preemptively discredit any ruling that does not favor him. It is a classic case of a desperate politician trying to rewrite history after suffering a clear and decisive defeat at the polls.

“It is telling that Okpebholo has provided no evidence to support his wild allegations. Instead, he resorts to vague innuendo and religious platitudes in an attempt to justify his electoral delusions. His contradictory stance is evident—on one hand, he professes faith in the judiciary; on the other, he seeks to smear its integrity with baseless claims.

“The Edo people have never been deceived by empty rhetoric and grandstanding. If Okpebholo were truly the people’s choice, the election results would have reflected that. Instead, he lost convincingly, and no amount of false narratives can alter that reality.

“More concerning is his blatant attempt to pressure the tribunal through public defamation. This is a dangerous and irresponsible act that must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians. It is beneath the dignity of anyone who claims to be a leader.

“The Edo people deserve principled leadership, not reckless politicians who, when faced with defeat, resort to fabrications and fear-mongering.

“The tribunal will discharge its duties based on facts and the law—not on the baseless accusations of those who refuse to accept reality.”