The Labour Party, LP, candidate in the just-concluded Edo State governorship election, Olumide Akpata, has explained why he will not challenge the election results.
Akpata made his position known in a statement on Saturday.
Recall that Akpata, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, came third in the election with 22,763 votes.
Monday Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was declared winner of the September 21 election with 291,667 votes.
Also, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, got 247,274 votes.
Akpata’s statement on Saturday, read in part: “Today, as the statutory window for filing petitions at the gubernatorial election tribunal closes, we stand at a pivotal juncture in Edo State and Nigeria’s democratic journey.
“After extensive deliberations with my legal team and key stakeholders, I have made the decision not to challenge the recent election results before the tribunal.
“My decision not to approach the tribunal is not a capitulation to injustice, but a resolute stand against a flawed system.
“I chose to rise above the quagmire of protracted legal battles that often serve to legitimise a fundamentally compromised process. 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.
The system
“This choice, borne out of deep reflection and rigorous analysis, transcends mere political calculation.
“It is a statement on the state of our democracy and a clarion call for all who cherish the principles of free and fair elections
“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.
“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,” Akpata noted.