The Supreme Court has chosen to reserve judgment indefinitely in the appeal contesting the outcome of the Edo State governorship election.
A panel of justices led by Justice Garba Lawal reached this decision after hearing submissions from all parties involved.
The court said that “a date for the verdict would be communicated later.”
The appeal was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who is asking the court to overturn the election victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Governor Monday Okpebholo.
Ighodalo alleged that electoral laws were flouted during the election and insisted that “the PDP secured the majority of lawful votes.”
In their response, Okpebholo and the APC urged the court to throw out the appeal, claiming it lacks merit.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also sided with the APC, calling on the court to dismiss the case.
INEC argued that “Ighodalo and the PDP had labelled the entire election process unlawful due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act and therefore could not claim victory from what they themselves deemed illegitimate.”
Previously, the PDP’s petition had been struck out by the Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja.
Justice Wilfred Kpochi, who headed the tribunal, dismissed the case on the grounds that the petitioners failed to substantiate claims of over-voting in 320 polling units across all 18 local government areas.
The appellate court later upheld this decision.
