Supreme Court Shifts Verdict on Edo Governorship Election Appeal

Supreme Court Shifts Verdict on Edo Governorship Election Appeal

The supreme court has adjourned verdict in the legal battle on the edo state governorship election appeal to a later date.

The five man-panel of justices of the apex led by justice Garba Lawal, who presided over the hearing of the appeal filed by Asue Ighodalo and the people’s democratic party (PDP) gave the ruling in Abuja.

The PDP and its candidate in the appeal are challenging the victory of APC and its candidate Senator Monday Obekpolo as the duly elected governor of Edo state in the november 16 governorship election.

Ighodalo, whose appeal was argued by Ken Mosia, SAN, prayed the supreme court to remove Obekpolo and pronounce him as the winner of the election.
The appellant whose petition and appeal at the trial and intermediate court were dismissed bases his appeal on the ground that he scored the majority of lawful votes in the election.
However, the independent national electoral commission (INEC), represented by Kanu Agabi, SAN, asked the apex court to dismiss the appeal in its entirety.
Agabi argued that ighodalo and the PDP had, in their petition, stigmatized the election as invalid and unlawful on the ground of non-compliance with the electoral act, 2022.
The electoral body said that having declared the election as unlawful and illegal, Ighodalo and the PDP cannot turn around and pray the court to declare them as winners of an alleged illegality.
INEC accused Ighodalo and the PDP of being inconsistent in their grievances against the election and pleaded that their appeal be dismissed for want of merit.