The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the legal battle challenging the outcome of the Edo State governorship election, which produced Senator Monday Okpebholo as governor.
The apex court, after hearing submissions from all parties on Tuesday, adjourned judgment sine die—without specifying a date. Justice Garba Lawal, who presided over the proceedings, stated that the judgment date would be communicated to the parties in due course.
The appeal, filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Asue Ighodalo, seeks to overturn Okpebholo’s victory. Through his counsel, Ken Mozia, SAN, Ighodalo urged the court to nullify the election of Okpebholo and declare him the rightful winner, on the grounds that he garnered the majority of lawful votes cast.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), represented by Kanu Agabi, SAN, called on the court to dismiss the appeal in its entirety. Agabi argued that Ighodalo and the PDP had earlier discredited the election in their petition, branding it as invalid and conducted in violation of the Electoral Act 2022.
“The petitioners cannot, on one hand, describe the election as unlawful and illegal, and on the other hand, ask the court to declare them winners of that same process,” Agabi contended.
INEC further accused the appellants of inconsistency in their arguments and urged the court to reject the appeal for lacking merit.
