A leaked document, purportedly containing the judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, has surfaced online, triggering widespread controversy and speculation ahead of the official ruling.
The unsigned document, which emerged less than 24 hours before the tribunal’s scheduled verdict on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, bears the petition number of the case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Asuerime Ighodalo, against Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The leak has raised concerns over its authenticity, with many questioning whether it represents the tribunal’s actual decision.
The document 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 leaked document, Justices Kpochi and Yusuf dismissed the petitioners’ claims, stating that while there were irregularities in the election, they were not substantial enough to alter the outcome.
They cited Supreme Court precedents to support their position, maintaining that the margin of victory remained unaffected despite the observed discrepancies.
However, Justice Adewole dissented, asserting that the total valid votes showed Ighodalo polling 243,113 votes against Okpebholo’s 210,326.
He declared the election invalid due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 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.
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