![Drama As Edo Governorship Election Tribunal Ruling 'Leaked' Before Official Announcement [See Documents]](https://gists9ja.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1001826423.jpg)
A leaked copy of the judgment from the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has surfaced online, just a day after the tribunal directed all parties involved in the case to appear before it for the formal ruling.
The development follows the tribunal’s March 3, 2025, ruling, where the three-member panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, reserved its judgment on the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo. The petition challenged the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State.
On the morning of Tuesday, April 1, 2025, the tribunal summoned all parties to return the following day for the official pronouncement of its verdict. However, reports indicate that a document allegedly containing the tribunal’s judgment surfaced online, revealing a split decision among the panel members.
According to the leaked documents, the ruling was divided in a two-to-one judgment. Justice Wilfred Kpochi and Justice A.B. Yusuf ruled to dismiss the petition, while Justice A.A. Adewole, in a dissenting minority judgment, argued that Ighodalo of the PDP should be declared the legitimate winner and issued a fresh Certificate of Return.
In his dissenting opinion, Justice Adewole asserted that Governor Monday Okpebholo’s election was invalid due to significant non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act. He maintained that the petitioners had provided sufficient evidence proving that the total valid votes should have been 243,113 in favor of Ighodalo, while Okpebholo’s tally stood at 210,326—a result that would have overturned the election outcome.
“The petitioners’ case was not rebutted, and they demonstrated unit by unit how the actual total should be 243,113 votes, while the 2nd Respondent’s tally should stand at 210,326 votes—a clear reversal of the declared result,” Justice Adewole reportedly stated in the leaked documents.
On the other hand, the majority judgment by Justice Kpochi acknowledged instances of electoral irregularities, such as failure to record serial numbers in EC 25B forms and cases of over-voting. However, the tribunal concluded that the petitioners failed to establish that these violations had significantly affected the final outcome of the election.
Justice Kpochi emphasized that while there were issues with collation and exclusion of results, the petitioners did not present sufficient mathematical or documentary evidence to prove that the margin of victory had been affected or that Ighodalo had secured the highest number of lawful votes.
“The petitioners have not discharged the dual burden to the satisfaction of the law. Accordingly, the petition lacks merit and is hereby dismissed,” the majority ruling stated.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously declared Governor Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election, with 291,667 votes, while Ighodalo of the PDP secured 247,655 votes.
Dissatisfied with the election outcome, Ighodalo and the PDP challenged the results at the tribunal, citing widespread non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022. They alleged that INEC failed to properly serialize and pre-record certain sensitive election materials, leading to election malpractice that favored the APC candidate.
The petition, marked EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, sought to overturn Okpebholo’s victory, arguing that he did not secure the highest number of lawful votes in the election.
The emergence of the leaked judgment has further fueled political tensions in Edo State, with both parties and their supporters eagerly awaiting the official tribunal ruling to confirm or debunk the alleged document. As the situation unfolds, all eyes remain on the tribunal’s final verdict and its potential implications for the state’s political landscape.
