The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) have both dismissed as fake the copies of an alleged judgment from the Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal that circulated on social media on Tuesday.
Bala Ibrahim, the APC Publicity Director, expressed confidence in the party’s victory and accused the PDP of leaking a fabricated judgment, suggesting that the opposition party anticipated a loss. In contrast, PDP Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor accused the APC of orchestrating the leak to gauge public reaction and warned President Bola Tinubu against interfering with the judicial process.
The controversy erupted after the three-man tribunal, which convened in Abuja, announced that it would deliver its judgment on Wednesday. The case concerns a petition filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenging the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the APC in the September 21, 2024, election.
Ighodalo, who garnered 247,655 votes, claimed that Okpebholo’s declared 291,667 votes were invalid due to several irregularities, including over-voting and issues with ballot serialisation. The PDP petitioned the tribunal to annul Okpebholo’s victory, arguing that the election violated provisions of the Electoral Act.
In their petition (EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024), the PDP and Ighodalo alleged that the process was marred by non-serialisation of ballots, improper collation of results, and other significant errors. They further claimed that these issues facilitated electoral manipulation in favor of the APC. To support their claims, the PDP presented 19 witnesses, including a Senior Technical Officer from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who provided 154 BVAS machines as evidence.
In defense, Okpebholo called a single witness, Usman Majek, who during cross-examination acknowledged alleged over-voting. The APC also presented four witnesses, while INEC opted not to present any.
Following hearings on March 3, the tribunal reserved judgment, with a decision expected soon. On Tuesday, the tribunal announced that the judgment would be delivered on Wednesday. Shortly after the announcement, purported copies of the judgment emerged online, indicating a two-to-one split decision.
Osadolor quickly condemned the leak, accusing the APC of being behind it. He cautioned President Tinubu to avoid any interference, emphasizing that such actions could undermine the integrity of the judiciary. “The APC is behind the leaked judgment,” Osadolor claimed. “They want to test public reaction. We urge the President to allow the judiciary to function independently, without any outside influence.”
He also expressed confidence that the PDP would prevail, citing the failure of both the APC and INEC to provide substantial evidence during the tribunal proceedings. “The tribunal hearings were public, and the APC and INEC failed to defend the results of their election. We are hopeful that the tribunal will declare Ighodalo the rightful winner,” Osadolor asserted.
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In response, Ibrahim refuted the claims, accusing the PDP of having prior knowledge of the judgment’s movement and using the leak as a distraction. “The PDP is responsible for the leak,” Ibrahim said. “They know how the judgment was moving before it was publicly announced. The APC had no involvement in the leak. The tribunal’s integrity remains intact, and we are optimistic about a favorable outcome.”
Both parties and influential Nigerians are awaiting the final decision, with all eyes on the tribunal’s ruling and its potential implications for the future of governance in Edo State.
