JOHN MAYAKI contends that the article raises more questions than answers
A recent article published in THISDAY, titled “All Eyes on Edo Tribunal”, reads less like an objective analysis. It is a curious piece—one that raises questions as the narrative is one-sided. Indeed, the piece is laden with insinuations, half-truths, and cherry-picked facts, all in service of a single goal: to manipulate public perception and coerce the judiciary into delivering an outcome that PDP failed to achieve at the ballot box.
This is in perfect alignment with the PDP’s broader strategy—to impose itself on the people of Edo through judicial maneuvering, having been thoroughly rejected at the polls. It is the same party that, knowing it had no path to victory via democracy, is now attempting to secure in the courtroom what it could not win from the electorate. Instead of taking stock of its failures and reevaluating its approach, it has chosen to concoct all manner of irrelevant distractions to shift attention from the obvious reality—that it simply did not win the election and could not have won it.
A fair-minded report would consider both sides of a dispute, but this article does nothing of the sort. Nowhere in the piece is there any acknowledgment of APC’s own complaints and concerns about the electoral process. No mention is made of the video evidence showing how PDP, at one point, invaded the tribunal proceedings in Benin with unknown armed guards to restrict access to APC representatives in Benin. This fundamental breach contributed to the decision to relocate hearings to Abuja. If the goal was fairness, shouldn’t these critical facts have been included? Instead, the piece presents PDP as helpless victims while completely ignoring the actions that necessitated the tribunal’s movement.
This selective blindness is not accidental—it is strategic. The narrative is deliberately framed to fuel conspiracy theories about judicial interference, creating a pretext for PDP to delegitimize the tribunal if things don’t go their way. The irony is striking: the same PDP that benefited from judicial rulings in the past now suddenly believes the courts are compromised simply because they might not rule in their favor this time.
The underlying assumption in PDP’s propaganda—echoed by this article—is that justice can only mean one thing: a PDP victory. But democracy does not work that way, nor does the judiciary exist to pander to the expectations of those who shout
the loudest in the media. Justice is not about who can spin the best narrative—it is about evidence, the law, and due process.
PDP’s demand for victory in this case is particularly absurd because they had no valid claim to it in the first place. The people of Edo did not vote for Asue Ighodalo. They rejected him because he was seen as nothing more than an extension of Obaseki’s failed government. The legacy of Obaseki in Edo is one of broken promises, administrative high-handedness, and a deliberate sabotage of democratic institutions. Edo people, fully aware of this, chose a different path, and no amount of media posturing will erase that decision.
The Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal must understand that it has a responsibility to uphold the law and deliver justice without fear or favor. It must not be swayed by the noise of partisan propaganda masquerading as journalism. The people of Edo deserve a judiciary that stands firm against manipulation and intimidation, one that is guided by facts, not sentiments; law, not political pressure.
PDP may continue to push its media blitz in the hopes of swaying public sentiment, but the truth remains unchanged: they lost the election, and they lost it fairly. No amount of revisionist storytelling will change that. The tribunal must focus on the evidence before it and resist all attempts—whether from PDP or any other source—to blackmail it into delivering a judgment that has no foundation in law or reality.
Justice cannot and will not be dictated by PDP’s press releases and media shenanigans. The sooner they accept this, the better for democracy.
Mayaki is former Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor
