Edo PDP, APC Clash Over Fake Judgment, Await Tribunal’s Ruling Today

Both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have dismissed as fake the purported copies of a judgment from the Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal that circulated online on Tuesday, ahead of the official ruling scheduled for Wednesday, April 2, 2025. The leaked document, which claims a split decision favoring the APC, has sparked strong reactions from both political camps.

The PDP quickly rejected the leaked judgment, accusing the APC of being behind the fake document in an effort to gauge public reaction before the official ruling. Timothy Osadolor, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, condemned the act as a deliberate attempt by the APC to create confusion and influence the judgment’s reception. He warned President Bola Tinubu against interfering with the judiciary’s independence, urging that the leak be treated as an attempt to manipulate the outcome of the case.

Osadolor stated that the tribunal’s proceedings, which had been transparent throughout, suggested that the PDP was poised for victory. He expressed confidence that the tribunal would deliver a fair ruling, pointing to the party’s presentation of 19 witnesses and significant evidence during the hearings. “The APC and INEC failed to provide witnesses to defend the election results,” Osadolor asserted, claiming the PDP would be vindicated and rightfully declared the winner.

Responding to the development, the APC also dismissed the leaked judgment as a fabrication and shifted the blame onto the PDP. Bala Ibrahim, the APC Publicity Director, accused the opposition party of leaking the document, claiming that the PDP had prior knowledge of the tribunal’s decision and was attempting to create confusion ahead of the official judgment. Ibrahim rejected accusations that the APC had any involvement in the leak, stating that the ruling party had no access to the tribunal’s confidential proceedings.

Ibrahim criticized the PDP for trying to preempt the court’s judgment by distributing the fake document online. He argued that such behavior demonstrated the PDP’s fear of losing the case, suggesting that they were attempting to influence public opinion before the judgment was formally delivered. “The PDP is trying to create confusion because they know they have lost,” Ibrahim said.

The petition in question was filed by the PDP and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who challenged the results of the September 21, 2024, Edo State Governorship Election. INEC had declared Governor Monday Okpebholo of the APC the winner with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who received 247,655 votes. The petitioners alleged several irregularities, including over-voting, failure to serialize ballots, and errors in the collation of results. They also contended that INEC had failed to properly handle sensitive election materials, which they claimed facilitated electoral malpractice.

Despite the controversy over the leaked document, the tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, has confirmed that the judgment is ready and will be delivered on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Both parties have made clear their positions, with the APC expressing confidence in a favorable ruling and the PDP asserting that justice will prevail in their favor.