Edo Governorship Battle Heads for Supreme Court Verdict as Judgment Reserved Indefinitely
The political tension in Edo State remains palpable as the Supreme Court of Nigeria has reserved judgment indefinitely in the hotly contested governorship election case. The apex court's decision, made on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, follows exhaustive arguments presented by all parties involved, leaving the fate of Senator Monday Okpebholo, declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), hanging in the balance.
The appeal was lodged by Asue Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who are challenging the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election. Their legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ken Mozia, implored the Supreme Court to overturn the judgments of the lower courts – the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal – and declare Ighodalo the rightful winner, asserting that he garnered the majority of lawful votes.
Ighodalo and the PDP's petition, initially filed at the tribunal, alleged that Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of lawful votes and that the election itself was marred by widespread irregularities, including over-voting and a failure by INEC to properly serialize ballot papers and pre-record sensitive materials. They contended that these alleged malpractices favored the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate. During the tribunal proceedings, the petitioners presented 19 witnesses and subpoenaed an INEC technical officer who brought 154 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines from 133 polling units to support their claims of over-voting.
However, the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), represented by Kanu Agabi SAN, strongly urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal. Agabi argued that Ighodalo and the PDP had, in their initial petition, deemed the election invalid and unlawful due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022. He contended that having declared the election illegal, the petitioners could not then turn around and ask the court to declare them winners of an "illegality." INEC accused the PDP and Ighodalo of being inconsistent in their grievances and pleaded for the dismissal of their case for lacking merit.
Both the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal (on April 2, 2025) and the Court of Appeal in Abuja (on May 29, 2025) had previously dismissed Ighodalo's petition, describing it as lacking merit and citing the petitioners' failure to prove claims of over-voting and electoral irregularities. The Supreme Court's five-member panel of justices, led by Justice Garba Lawal, heard the final arguments and has stated that a new date for the judgment will be communicated to all parties involved.
The anticipation surrounding this verdict is immense, as it will bring a definitive close to the legal battles surrounding the Edo State governorship election, shaping the political landscape of the state.
I'm Aisha shehu
Talksocialtalka News
