Edo guber election: Supreme Court fixes date to deliver judgment

• He prayed the two courts to nullify the declaration of Okpebholo as the winner on the ground that the election was allegedly marred by irregularities

The Supreme Court is set to deliver a final judgment in a petition challenging the outcome of the Edo State gubernatorial election.

The apex Court has fixed Thursday, July 10, to rule on the petition filed by Asue Ighodalo against the emergence of Senator Monday Okpebholo as governor of the state.

The verdict of the apex court, when delivered, will put an end to the slew of litigations that characterised the aftermath of the election.

According to Daily Post, the judgment of the 5-man panel of Justices who heard the case would be made public on July 10.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Governor Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress, APC, winners of the September 21, 2024 governorship election.

Dissatisfied with the outcome, Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who came second contested the declaration both at the Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, claiming that INEC did not comply with the rules guiding the conduct of the poll, and ruled in favour of APC’s Okpebholo.

Ighodalo alleged that there were cases of over-voting in many polling units, which when deducted, would show that he and not Okpebholo won the governorship election.

He prayed the two courts to nullify the declaration of Okpebholo as the winner on the ground that the election was allegedly marred by irregularities.

His claims were, however, dismissed by the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal as well as the Court of Appeal, which affirmed the election of Okpebholo.

The Supreme Court is the final point on any legal matters arising from any dispute in the country.

A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba Lawal, which adjudicated over the matter, had at the hearing announced that their judgment delivery date would be communicated to counsel representing parties in the appeal seeking to remove Okpebholo as Governor of Edo State.