From Staff Writer
The Court of Appeal has scheduled Thursday, 29 May 2025, to deliver its judgment in the high-stakes legal contest over the outcome of the 2024 Edo State governorship election. The decision is expected to shape the next phase of a closely watched political saga that has gripped both the State and the nation.
At the heart of the case is the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who is challenging the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer, Monday Okpebholo, declared winner of the 21 September 2024 poll.
Following months of hearings in both Benin and Abuja, the Election Petition Tribunal had, on 2 April 2025, upheld Okpebholo’s election. However, the PDP and its candidates—insisting that the ruling was flawed and did not reflect constitutional standards—appealed the decision, describing the tribunal’s judgement as a miscarriage of justice.
The opposition party has consistently alleged widespread irregularities during the electoral process, and claims it has presented what it terms “inalienable evidence” of malpractice. Supporters of the PDP argue that the APC failed to convincingly defend the integrity of the election results.
Recall that counsel to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), had earlier urged the court to dismiss the appeal as lacking in merit. He emphasized that both the PDP and Ighodalo were unable to prove their allegations of irregularities. He noted that even with the deductions they sought, the APC still secured the majority of lawful votes.
He further clarified that contrary to the appellants’ argument, Form EC25B does not require the inclusion of ballot paper serial numbers. Instead, it is Form EC25D where such details are recorded — a form the appellants failed to tender at the tribunal. Ikpeazu also pointed out that the Form EC40A submitted by the petitioners already showed serial numbers.
Ikpeazu maintained that the appeal amounted to an academic exercise, stressing that ward collation officers are not bound by results uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) in cases of over-voting.
Similarly, Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) representing the APC, and Kanu Agabi (SAN) for INEC, aligned with the call to dismiss the appeal and affirm the tribunal’s ruling. Ukala noted that under Sections 73(2) and 137 of the Electoral Act 2022, allegations of non-compliance must be proven with witnesses from every affected polling unit.
Ukala stated that although the petition challenged results from 765 polling units, only five of the 19 witnesses called by the petitioners were polling unit agents — a shortfall he said proved fatal to their case.
He reiterated that Form EC25D, where serial numbers should be recorded, was never produced, further weakening the appellants’ claims.
Political analysts view Thursday’s judgment as a decisive moment, not only for the contending parties but also for the broader question of electoral transparency in Nigeria. While the Appeal Court’s ruling will not be the final word—the case is likely to proceed to the Supreme Court—it is expected to set the tone for the ultimate resolution.
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