By Parrot Newspaper Controversial Leak: Edo State Tribunal Judgment Surfaces Ahead of Official Announcement
A document purporting to be the judgment from the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has emerged online, igniting a firestorm of controversy and speculation just a day before the tribunal is scheduled to announce its official verdict on April 2, 2025.
The leaked document, linked to the case initiated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its gubernatorial candidate, Asuerime Ighodalo, against the current governor, Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), raises pressing questions about its authenticity and contents.
According to the document, which was reviewed by The PUNCH, it presents a split decision from the tribunal’s panel of three judges. Two justices—led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi—ruled in favor of Okpebholo, while Justice A. A. Adewole dissented. The split judgment indicates that the tribunal acknowledges some irregularities during the election, but determined they were not significant enough to alter the election’s outcome.
In their ruling, Justices Kpochi and A. B. Yusuf dismissed the PDP’s claims, referencing past Supreme Court decisions that maintained the winning margin intact despite identified discrepancies.
However, Justice Adewole’s dissent paints a different picture. He argued that the valid votes showed Ighodalo garnering 243,113 compared to Okpebholo’s 210,326, ultimately declaring the election invalid. He called for the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a new Certificate of Return to Ighodalo, asserting that the evidence clearly indicated an erroneous declaration of results by the state.
The controversy surrounding this leaked document poses important questions ahead of the tribunal’s official judgment announcement, leaving many to ponder if this leak reflects the true verdict or serves as mere speculation. As the situation develops, the political landscape in Edo State remains charged with tension and uncertainty.