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.

Aziegbemi said, “The APC is clearly scared of justice, and have continued their devious ploy to frustrate our party, from reclaiming the mandate duly given to us by the good people of Edo State in the last governorship election at the Tribunal and have now resorted to deploying thugs disguised in PDP-branded attire to disrupt the legal process, while pointing accusing fingers at our party.

“We strongly dissociate ourselves from the shooting incident that occurred today at the venue of the Governorship Election Tribunal in Benin City, the Edo State capital, and want to unequivocally state that this shameful incident is yet another in the series of clandestine efforts by the APC to frustrate the legal process and tarnish the image of our party.”

Dr. Adetokunboh Pearse, a prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and member of the Board of Governors of the Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI), has described the Lagos State House of Assembly as a “den of corruption” following the impeachment of its speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.

Obasa was removed from office on Monday after lawmakers accused him of various financial and statutory infractions, including an alleged expenditure of ₦17 billion on fixing the Assembly gate.

He was replaced by his deputy, Mojisola Meranda, a former chief whip representing Apapa Constituency 1.

Reacting to the development, Pearse dismissed the impeachment as politically motivated, claiming it had little to do with accountability or good governance.

“The Lagos State House of Assembly is a den of corruption. There is inefficiency there. All they are doing is playing politics. The decision to remove Obasa was not in the interest of Lagosians but purely for political reasons,” Pearse said in an interview with Daily Independent.

Pearse alleged that the real reason for Obasa’s removal was his ambition to run for governor in 2027, a move seen as a challenge to the presumed candidacy of Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu.

“The reason they removed Obasa is not because of corruption or poor performance. It’s because he’s considering running for governor against Seyi Tinubu. Let them not pretend as if they are doing Lagosians a favour.

“His removal is not going to sanitize the Assembly. It’s just one corrupt speaker replacing another,” Pearse stated.

Lauretta Onochie, a former media aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, has addressed the growing speculation surrounding Seyi Tinubu’s potential bid for the Lagos State governorship in 2027.

In a detailed post, Onochie clarified that Nigerian law does not prohibit individuals whose parents were governors or presidents from seeking gubernatorial office.

Her words: “Let us be guided by the law. To become a governor in Nigeria, the law does not exclude those whose parents were governors or presidents. We cannot have one set of laws for Nigeria and another for Lagos State.”

Onochie outlined the constitutional requirements for governorship eligibility in Nigeria, emphasizing the need for citizenship by birth, a minimum age of 35 years, membership in a political party, and a minimum educational qualification of a school certificate.

She also listed disqualifications, including allegiance to another country, prior convictions for dishonesty or fraud, and membership in a secret society.

Regarding the rising speculation, Onochie called for public discourse to remain grounded in legal principles, stating, “Let our arguments be guided by the laws of our land.”

The rumours about Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, potentially succeeding Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in Lagos, have stirred widespread discussion.

Recently, Youth Development Minister Ayodele Olawande endorsed Seyi, citing his commitment and track record as qualifications for the role.