As the Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal prepares to deliver its ruling today, both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have dismissed a leaked judgment circulating online, labeling it as fake.
The controversial document, which surfaced hours after the tribunal’s announcement on Tuesday, claimed a split decision among the judges.
The PDP has accused the ruling APC of orchestrating the leak to manipulate public perception, while the APC insists that the opposition is behind the misinformation, anticipating defeat.
The tribunal, sitting in Abuja, is set to deliver judgment on the petition filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenging the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the APC in the September 21, 2024, poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who garnered 247,655 votes. However, the PDP and its candidate rejected the results, citing electoral irregularities, including over-voting, improper collation of results, and non-serialisation of ballots.
To substantiate their claims, the PDP presented 19 witnesses and subpoenaed an INEC ICT official, who submitted 154 BVAS machines as evidence. In contrast, the APC fielded four witnesses, while INEC chose not to call any.
Following the conclusion of hearings on March 3, the three-man panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, reserved judgment. The anticipation reached a peak on Tuesday when the tribunal confirmed that the ruling would be delivered today.
Shortly after the tribunal’s announcement, an alleged copy of the judgment surfaced online, fueling speculation about the verdict.
The PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, dismissed the document as an APC ploy to test the waters and influence public sentiment.
“The APC owns the judgments; they are behind the leaked tribunal document. They want to test the waters,” Osadolor asserted.
He warned President Bola Tinubu against any interference, drawing historical parallels to past political crises in Nigeria.
“The whole world is watching the outcome of this judgment. The judiciary remains the last hope of the common man, and no one, no matter how highly placed, should interfere,” he added.
Osadolor expressed confidence in the PDP’s victory, arguing that neither the APC nor INEC adequately defended their case during the tribunal proceedings.
“The hearing was open. INEC could not defend the results, and the APC failed to call credible witnesses. Based on the evidence presented, I have no doubt that the PDP will be vindicated.”
In a swift rebuttal, APC Publicity Director Bala Ibrahim turned the accusations against the PDP, suggesting that the opposition party leaked the judgment out of desperation.
“For them to accuse the APC, it means they had prior knowledge of the judgment’s movement. The PDP must be held responsible for this leak,” Ibrahim argued.
He dismissed the idea that the APC had access to tribunal proceedings ahead of the ruling, stating, “The APC is not a judge. We have no business leaking judgments.”
Ibrahim maintained that the APC is confident of victory, attributing the PDP’s allegations to fear of an unfavorable outcome.
“The PDP knows it has lost. This is why they are creating confusion. But we trust the judiciary to deliver justice based on merit,” he said.
Similarly, Edo APC Publicity Secretary Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie labeled the leaked document as fake news, urging the public to disregard it.
“Nigeria has outgrown these shenanigans. The tribunal’s judgment remains sacrosanct until delivered in open court,” he said.
As Edo residents, party supporters, and political analysts await today’s ruling, the tribunal’s decision is expected to have far-reaching implications for the state’s political future.
For the APC, a favorable judgment would solidify its control of Edo, while for the PDP, a victory could alter the power dynamics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
© Ripples Nigeria
