Some supporters of the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC) relocated FROM Edo State to Abuja yesterday.
Their relocation was ahead of today’s expected Supreme Court verdict on the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo (SAN), against the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the APC.
Okpebholo was declared the winner of the September 21, 2024 Edo State governorship poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
It was learnt last night that parties had been served with notices of the court’s planned judgment
On July 2, after taking final arguments from lawyers to parties, a five-member panel of the apex court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Garba, announced that a date for judgment would be communicated to them.
Respondents in the appeal are INEC, Okpebholo and the APC.
Arguing the appeal on July 2, appellants’ lawyer, Ken Mozia (SAN) prayed the court to among others, allow the appeal and set aside the May 29 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, affirming the April 2 judgment by the election tribunal, endorsing Okpebholo’s victory.
Mozia also urged the apex court to declare Ighodalo as the winner of the election on the grounds that he scored the majority of lawful votes cast.
Lawyers to the respondents, including Kanu Agabi (SAN) and Emmanuel Ukala (SAN) prayed the court otherwise, and sought a dismissal of the appeal.
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The appeal is against the May 29 unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which affirmed the April 2 judgment by the election tribunal, endorsing Okpebholo’s victory.
Justice Olabode Abimbola Adegbehingbe, who wrote and read the leado judgment of the Court of Appeal, held that the appellants failed to show that the election tribunal erred in its decision.
Justice Adegbehingbe also held that the tribunal was right to have held that the petitioners (appellants) did not prove their allegations of non-compliance and over voting.
The judge equally held that the evidence of 19 witnesses, called by the appellants at the tribunal, were insufficient to prove the allegations, adding that they failed to call relevant witnesses from the polling units complained about.
“The case of the petitioners (appellants) was inadequately presented by calling only 19 witnesses, most of whom did not witness what happened at the polling units,” he said.
Justice Adegbehingbe noted that 14 out of the 19 witnesses called by the respondents at the tribunal, gave evidence about what they did not witness, having not been present at the polling units when the election was held.
He added that it was impossible for the appellants to prove over-voting when they failed to tender voters register.