Copies of an unsigned document, said to be the judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, have gone viral online, stoking controversy and speculation.
The document, which has the insignia of the petition number of the case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate, Asuerime Ighodalo, against Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, surfaced online less than 24 hours before the tribunal is set to deliver its verdict on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
The leak has raised questions about the genuineness of the document, with many wondering whether it represents the tribunal’s actual decision.
A copy of the document, sighted by Business Hallmark indicates a split judgment, with two of the three tribunal justices ruling in favour of Okpebholo, while the third dissented.
The tribunal panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, reportedly had Justice A. B. Yusuf aligning with the chairman to uphold Okpebholo’s election, while Justice A. A. Adewole ruled in favour of Ighodalo.
According to the document, Justices Kpochi and Yusuf dismissed the petitioners’ claims, stating that while there were irregularities in the election, they were not substantial enough to affect the outcome.
Referencing Supreme Court precedents, they held that the margin of victory remained unchanged in spite of clear discrepancies.
However, Justice Adewole disagreed , noting that the total valid votes showed Ighodalo polled 243,113 votes against Okpebholo’s 210,326.
He declared the election non and void as a result of non-compliance with the Electoral Act and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a fresh Certificate of Return to Ighodalo.
He further ruled that the PDP’s claims were not effectively countered and that evidence pointed to an incorrect declaration of results.
With the official judgment yet to be delivered, the leaked document has stirred heated debate, leaving observers questioning whether it truly reflects the tribunal’s final ruling or is merely a product of speculation.
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