The Supreme Court has reserved judgment in the appeal challenging the outcome of the Edo State governorship election, which produced Senator Monday Okpebholo as governor-elect.
At Tuesday’s hearing, the apex court adjourned the matter sine die (without a fixed date) after listening to arguments from all parties.
Justice Garba Lawal, who presided over the proceedings, stated that the date for the judgment would be communicated to the parties in due course.
The appeal was filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Asue Ighodalo, who through his counsel, Ken Mozia, SAN, urged the court to nullify Okpebholo’s victory and declare him (Ighodalo) the winner, on the grounds that he secured the majority of lawful votes.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), represented by Kanu Agabi, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the appeal in its entirety.
Agabi argued that the PDP and Ighodalo had challenged the election’s validity in their petition by labeling it as marred by irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022. He contended that it was inconsistent for them to simultaneously ask the court to declare them winners of an election they deemed unlawful.
INEC described the PDP’s case as lacking merit and riddled with contradictions, urging the Supreme Court to uphold the earlier declaration of Senator Okpebholo as the duly elected governor.
