By Abiola Olawale
A wave of uncertainty and speculation has gripped Edo State as purported copies of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal member’s judgement surfaced online on Tuesday, just one day before the tribunal is scheduled to deliver its official ruling.
The leaked documents, which have spread rapidly across social media platforms, have sparked intense debate, with many questioning their authenticity and others accusing some individuals of orchestrating a deliberate attempt to influence public perception or undermine the judicial process.
The New Diplomat reports that the tribunal, chaired by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, is set to rule on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, on a petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenging the outcome of the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election.
It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, who contested under the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner of the fiercely contested poll, with 291,667 votes against Ighodalo’s 247,655.
The PDP, alleging widespread irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022, sought to overturn the result, presenting evidence including Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines and polling unit data.
Meanwhile, the documents circulating online, which claim to be excerpts of the tribunal’s ruling, suggest that the court has purportedly struck out the suit.
A section of the leaked material hints at a split decision among the three-member panel, with a 2-1 majority allegedly favouring Okpebholo and the APC, dismissing the PDP’s claims of electoral malpractices.
In the said minority judgement, Justice Adewole purportedly held that Okpebholo’s election was invalid because of non-substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act.
He allegedly held that the 2nd Respondent, governor Okpebholo, was not duly elected by a majority of lawful votes cast and proceeded to nullify his return as the winner of the gubernatorial contest.
