The political fate of Edo State hangs in the balance as the Supreme Court of Nigeria is set to deliver its highly anticipated final judgment on Thursday, July 10, 2025. The ruling will bring closure to the months-long legal tussle between Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, over the controversial September 21, 2024 governorship election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo winner of the election with 291,667 votes against Ighodalo’s 247,655. However, the PDP swiftly challenged the outcome, citing allegations of widespread irregularities, over-voting, and violations of the Electoral Act 2022. According to the PDP, INEC failed to comply with mandatory electoral protocols, including proper serialization and documentation of sensitive materials, and that Okpebholo did not secure the majority of lawful votes.
The dispute first landed at the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which dismissed the PDP’s case on April 2, 2025. Justice Wilfred Kpochi, who led the tribunal, ruled that the PDP failed to provide credible evidence or call enough witnesses to support its claims. The tribunal also faulted the party’s inability to prove malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) or connect their evidence directly to polling unit irregularities.
Unrelenting, Ighodalo proceeded to the Court of Appeal in Abuja. On May 29, 2025, a panel led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma upheld the tribunal’s ruling, expunging key documents like the BVAS reports due to procedural breaches. The appellate court concluded that the PDP failed to link its allegations to specific voting units or prove non-compliance with the law.
With legal avenues narrowing, the PDP escalated the matter to the Supreme Court. Through its lead counsel, Ken Mozia (SAN), the party insisted Ighodalo won the majority of valid votes and that lower courts erred in their evaluation of documentary evidence, especially regarding Forms EC25B and claims of over-voting. Mozia argued that the Electoral Act’s provisions on serialization and over-voting were grossly violated by INEC, calling on the apex court to reverse the previous judgments and declare Ighodalo the rightful winner.
INEC’s legal team, led by Kanu Agabi (SAN), fired back, labeling the PDP’s claims as inconsistent and contradictory. Agabi highlighted the paradox of declaring an election invalid while simultaneously seeking to benefit from it. Okpebholo’s legal representatives, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) and Emmanuel Okala (SAN), also urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the case for lack of merit.
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A five-member Supreme Court panel, led by Justice Mohammed Garba Lawal, heard the final arguments on July 2, 2025, and reserved its judgment. Inside sources confirmed on Wednesday, July 9, that the final ruling will be delivered on Thursday, ending nearly ten months of legal uncertainty that has paralyzed Edo’s political terrain.
The PDP, expressing optimism, believes the apex court will right the alleged wrongs of the lower courts. Party chairman in Edo, Tony Aziegbemi, emphasized the strength of the evidence, urging the court to uphold the will of Edo voters. Ighodalo, too, remains confident that justice will prevail.
On the other hand, the APC remains firm that Okpebholo’s victory was legitimate and that the PDP failed to meet the high threshold required to overturn an election. With the tribunal and Court of Appeal rulings in its favor, the party sees the Supreme Court as the final seal of its triumph.
The political atmosphere in Edo State is electric. Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) is flooded with commentary, with hashtags like #EdoVerdict, #SupremeCourtJudgment, and #IghodaloVsOkpebholo trending nationwide. While some users confidently predict victory for Ighodalo, others argue that the consistency of earlier rulings suggests the court will affirm Okpebholo’s mandate. Allegations of judicial bias have also crept into the online discourse, with users citing perceived ties between the APC and certain judicial figures, raising tensions ahead of the judgment.
