All eyes are on the Supreme Court today as it prepares to deliver a decisive judgment in the fiercely contested Edo State governorship election dispute between Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo the winner of the September 21, 2024, election, after he secured 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes.
Refusing to concede defeat, Ighodalo challenged the outcome, citing widespread irregularities, including overvoting, non-compliance with the Electoral Act, and discrepancies in result collation.
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In January 2025, the Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal dismissed Ighodalo’s petition, citing lack of credible evidence and the improper presentation of documents. The court emphasized that many of the PDP’s claims were not backed by eyewitness accounts or linked to specific polling units.
Further compounding Ighodalo’s legal woes, the Court of Appeal in Abuja, on May 29, 2025, upheld the tribunal’s verdict. The appellate court criticized the PDP legal team for what it described as “dumping documents” without demonstrating their relevance. It also struck out evidence from Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines submitted by the PDP, ruling that they were improperly tendered.
Still pressing on, Ighodalo took the matter to the Supreme Court, maintaining that the lower courts overlooked vital issues. Among the core concerns raised were alleged manipulation of Form EC 25B, missing serial numbers, and fraudulent collation practices that he claims altered the election’s outcome.
Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court is expected to bring finality to a legal battle that has gripped Edo State’s political landscape and tested the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral and judicial systems.
The People’s Insight will provide timely updates as the judgment unfolds.
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