Alleged Leaked Copy of Edo Tribunal Judgment Surfaces Online, Affirms Okpebholo’s Election

Leaked copies of the Edo State Governorship Tribunal judgment have surfaced online, causing confusion ahead of the official reading of the verdict. The document, which has circulated widely just hours before the tribunal is set to deliver its ruling, reveals that the lead judgment affirms the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo.

The three-member tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, had reserved judgment on the case filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, challenging the outcome of the September 21, 2024 governorship election. The tribunal had previously directed all parties to appear before it on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, for the judgment.

However, in what appears to be a leak, the judgment document made its way to the internet, showing a two-to-one split in the decision. The leaked document indicates that Justices Kpochi and A.B. Yusuf voted to dismiss the petition and affirm Okpebholo’s victory. In contrast, Justice A.A. Adewole, the third member, dissented, calling for a fresh Certificate of Return to be issued to Ighodalo, declaring him the true winner of the election.

Justice Adewole, in his minority opinion, argued that Governor Okpebholo’s election was invalid due to non-compliance with key provisions of the Electoral Act. He noted that the PDP’s petition presented compelling evidence showing that the actual result should have been 243,113 votes for Ighodalo, compared to Okpebholo’s 210,326 votes — a reversal of the declared outcome.

In contrast, the majority judgment, authored by Justice Kpochi, acknowledged the presence of irregularities such as failure to record serial numbers on election forms and instances of over-voting. However, the majority concluded that these issues did not substantially affect the election result. The tribunal cited the petitioners’ inability to prove that the non-compliance altered the outcome or that the margin of victory was overtaken. The judgment relied heavily on previous Supreme Court cases, including *Oyetola vs. Adeleke* (2023) and *Atiku vs. INEC* (2023), to argue that the petitioners had failed to meet the legal burden of proof required to overturn the election results.

The majority decision concluded by stating, “We find that the petitioners have not discharged the dual burden to the satisfaction of the law. Accordingly, the petition lacks merit and is hereby dismissed.”

As of this report, the authenticity of the leaked judgment could not be confirmed, and DAILY POST has yet to verify its origin. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously declared Governor Okpebholo of the APC the winner of the election with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who garnered 247,655 votes. Following the election, Ighodalo and the PDP filed a petition on October 11, 2024, alleging that the election was marred by substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.