Supreme Court Reserves Judgment On Edo State Governorship Battle

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, ruled to reserve verdict. on the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its Candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, challenging  the outcome of the September 21, 2024, Edo State Gubernatorial Election.

The Source reports that the  Appeal Court had, on May, 29, 2025, dismissed the appeal filed by the  PDP and Ighodalo challenging the verdict of the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal affirming the electoral victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the rival All Progressive Congress APC in the off-circle poll.

The Justice Mohammed Danjuma-led three-member Appellate Court, had in a unanimous decision   dismissed PDP’s appeal as unmeritorious.

The PDP and its candidate are insisting that the outcome of the polls was heavily tainted and manipulated in favour of the APC and Senator Okpebholo.

However, dissatisfied with the Appeal court ruling, the PDP and its candidate approached the country’s apex court seeking a reversal  or in the alternative a cancellation of the polls, with a fresh one ordered.

The five-member panel of Supreme Court Justices, headed by Justice Garba Lawal which adjourned proceedings sine die ,after the parties involved had adopted their final written addresses, said a date for judgment will be communicated to them.

Represented by Ken Mosia SAN ,the Petitioner ,Chief Ighodalo, the PDP candidate, prayed the highest Court in the land to order the removal of Governor Okpebholo, and declare him the rightful winner having polled the highest number of valid votes.

As earlier argued at the trial and Appeal courts, the PDP and its candidate premised their argument on the fact that the results were allegedly manipulated in favour of the APC and its flagbearer at some polling units and wards during the said election.

However, the APC, aligning with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, prayed the  Court to dismiss the appeal against the victory of the party and its candidate for lacking in merit.

According to Kanu Agabi SAN, the INEC Counsel, the Petitioner cannot approbrate and reprobate at the same time. The PDP and its candidate having argued that the election was substantially marred by irregularities, and therefore illegal, according to Agabi, cannot, at the same time, ask the Court to award to them what is unlawful.