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Edo guber: S’Court reserves judgment on PDP, Ighodalo’s appeal
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The Supreme Court has reserved judgment on the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, challenging the outcome of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State, won by Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In the appeal, marked: SC/CV/536/2025, the appellants are praying the court to set aside the May 29 judgment of the Court of Appeal, which dismissed their case and affirmed Governor Okpebholo as the valid winner of the gubernatorial contest.
They have maintained that the appellate court failed to properly evaluate the case they filed to challenge the outcome of the election, which they insisted was not conducted with substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act.
A five-member panel of justices of the Supreme Court led by Garba Lawal adjourned to deliver judgment on the matter after all the parties adopted their final briefs of argument.
While the PDP and its candidate prayed the court to upturn the concurrent decision of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Okpebholo and the APC urged the court to dismiss the appeal and uphold the outcome of the election.
Specifically, Ighodalo whose appeal was argued by Ken Mosia, SAN, prayed the court to nullify the election that pronounced Okpebholo as winner of the polls.
He submitted that he scored the majority of lawful votes cast in the election.
However, the INEC, represented by Kanu Agabi, SAN, urged the court to dismiss the appeal in its entirety.
The former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF) argued that Ighodalo and his political platform, the PDP, had in their petition stigmatised as invalid and unlawful on ground of non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.
On its part, INEC submitted that having declared the election as unlawful and illegal, the appellants cannot turn around and pray the court to declare them as winners of illegality.
The electoral body equally accused the appellants of being inconsistent in the grievances against the election and pleaded that their case be dismissed for want of merit.
Responding, the apex court panel, led by Justice Lawal said it would communicate the judgement date to the parties.
A three-member panel of the Appeal Court, led by Justice M. A. Danjuma, had declined to nullify Okpebholo’s election.
The Court of Appeal held that it found no reason to dislodge the May 15 judgement of the tribunal, which validated the result of the election announced by INEC.
However, dissatisfied with the affirmation of the judgment by the appellate court, PDP and Ighodalo took the case to the Supreme Court.
The Justice Wilfred Kpochi-led three-member tribunal had dismissed as lacking in merit, petitions by the PDP and its candidate; the Action Alliance (AA) and its National Chairman, Adekunle Rufai Omoaje, as well as a case that was brought before it by the Accord Party (AP) and its own candidate, Dr. Bright Enabulele.
INEC had declared that Okpebholo of the APC secured a total of 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ighodalo of the PDP, who got a total of 247,655 votes.
Dissatisfied with the result, the petitioners approached the tribunal, alleging that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.
In the petition marked: EPT/ED/GOV/02/2024, PDP and its candidate alleged that Governor Okpebholo did not secure the highest number of lawful votes that were cast at the election.
It was equally the contention of the petitioners that INEC failed to serialise and pre-record some of the sensitive materials that were deployed for the poll, a situation they said aided the rigging of the election in favour of the APC and its candidate.
Specifically, PDP and its candidate alleged that there was wrong computation of results in 765 polling units in the state, even as they produced 19 witnesses that testified and tendered exhibits before the tribunal.
Among the exhibits the petitioners tendered before the tribunal were 153 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines that were used in 133 polling units.
According to the petitioners, results from the polling units were manipulated at the collation centres, a situation they said resulted in over-voting in Okpebholo’s favour.
In its judgement, the tribunal held that the petitioners failed to, by way of credible evidence, establish why the outcome of the election should be set aside.
It held that the onus of proving that Okpebholo was unduly returned by INEC rested squarely on the petitioners, a legal burden it said was not successfully discharged.
According to the tribunal, the PDP and its candidate merely dumped exhibits before it without demonstrating them through competent witnesses as required by the law.
It held that most of the witnesses, who testified for the petitioners gave hearsay evidence, stressing that the failure to produce polling unit agents, presiding officers or voters who participated in the election to testify proved fatal to the case of the petitioners.
The tribunal held that section 137 of the Electoral Act did not preclude the petitioners from producing necessary and competent witnesses to testify in support of their case.
It further dismissed the contention of the petitioners that, contrary to the provision of section 73(2) of the Electoral Act, INEC failed to pre-record most of the materials that were deployed for the election.
In addition, the tribunal held that none of the BVAS machines tendered before it was switched on to demonstrate that the number of votes recorded in the disputed polling units exceeded the total number of accredited voters.
By Our Correspondent.
Leading fintech company, OPay Digital Services, has dismissed as false and malicious a viral social media publication claiming that the company would embark on a prolonged break from September 1, 2026, urging its customers to withdraw or move their funds.
The fabricated publication, which gained traction across social media platforms on Sunday, purportedly warned OPay customers that the fintech would shut down its operations for an extended period beginning September 1.
However, OPay, in an official response published across its verified social media platforms, described the claim as false, assuring customers that the company remains fully operational.
In a statement titled, “This is FALSE!”, the fintech said: “OPay is not going on break by September. We’re here, and we’re going nowhere! 💚”
The company further urged its customers and members of the public to scrutinise the viral publication for inconsistencies and rely only on its verified communication channels for authentic information.
“True OPay users know how to identify our official communications. Take a closer look at the viral post and you’ll spot the red flags.
“Always verify before you share. Filter the noise! Follow our official pages for authentic OPay updates,” the company stated, ending the message with the hashtag, #OPayIsOkay.
Also reacting to the development, the Vice President, Public and Government Affairs, OPay Digital Services, Dr. Maxwell Loko, described the viral publication as “false, malicious and misleading.”
Loko said OPay was not shutting down and cautioned customers against taking any action based on the fabricated information.
“This post is false, malicious and misleading. OPay is not shutting down, and customers should not be misled into withdrawing their funds based on fabricated information,” he said.
He urged members of the public to disregard the publication and depend exclusively on OPay’s verified platforms for official announcements.
“We urge the public to disregard this post and rely only on OPay’s verified communication channels for official information,” Loko added.
The OPay executive further warned that deliberate attempts to spread false information capable of creating panic or undermining confidence in a financial institution could attract legal consequences.
“The deliberate spread of false information designed to cause panic or undermine confidence in a financial institution is a serious matter and may have legal consequences,” he said.
The development has also raised concerns over the growing use of fabricated digital content to damage the reputation of financial technology companies and potentially trigger unnecessary panic among customers.
While speculation has circulated in some quarters that the publication could be linked to competitive interests seeking to undermine OPay’s growing market position, no evidence has been publicly established to substantiate such claims.
OPay therefore advised its customers to exercise caution and verify financial or operational announcements through its authenticated communication channels before acting on them.
The company’s clarification effectively puts to rest the viral claim that it would cease or suspend operations from September 1, 2026, with OPay reaffirming that its services remain available to customers.
The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 70-year-old man, Usman Abubakar, over the alleged defilement of an eight-year-old girl in the Tsakanin Bayara area of Bauchi metropolis.
According to a statement issued by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police (SP) Nafiu Habib, the suspect was arrested following a complaint lodged at the ‘E’ Division, Yelwa, by the victim’s 48-year-old father on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
According to the police, the father alleged that the suspect, who resides in the same area, lured his daughter to an uncompleted building on Sunday, August 24, where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.
The Command said its operatives immediately commenced action after receiving the report and arrested the suspect.
The police further stated that the suspect allegedly confessed to the offence during interrogation.
Following the incident, the victim was taken to the Police Clinic for medical examination and necessary care.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, condemned the alleged offence and assured members of the public that the matter would be thoroughly investigated.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Bauchi, for discreet investigation and prosecution, according to the Command.
The police reiterated their zero tolerance for sexual violence and child abuse, while urging parents, guardians and members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.
Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed sympathy with traders and business owners affected by the fire that gutted Eda Plaza in Jabi, Abuja, on Sunday.
Obi, in a statement posted on his X handle on Sunday, said the incident highlighted the need to strengthen Nigeria’s emergency-response systems, particularly the capacity of fire services.
A fire outbreak destroyed shops and goods reportedly worth millions of naira at the plaza, a building materials market opposite Chida Hotel in Jabi.
An eyewitness told the Nigerian Television Authority that the alarm was raised around 3am after a trader received a distress call about the fire.
The eyewitness said the fire destroyed one of his brother-in-law’s two shops and a packing store, with roofing materials worth more than N20m reportedly lost in the blaze.
There were no reported casualties.
Reacting to the incident, Obi said his “heart goes out to the traders, artisans, workers, families and business owners whose goods, investments and livelihoods may have been affected by this unfortunate incident.”
He noted that the losses suffered by the traders represented more than merchandise, noting that they included years of savings, borrowing and sacrifice.
“As a country, we cannot continue to lose businesses and livelihoods repeatedly to preventable disasters. Each time this happens, we gradually lose our productive capacity,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor said small businesses were “the backbone of our economy” and that losses suffered by traders could affect their families, workers and communities.
Obi urged authorities to strengthen emergency-response systems, particularly by ensuring that fire services were properly equipped and adequately staffed.
“As we grieve what has happened at Jabi Market, let us not wait for another market to burn before we act. Let this tragedy become a reason to strengthen our emergency-response systems, especially by ensuring that our fire service is properly equipped, adequately staffed and capable of responding swiftly to emergencies.”
“We must protect our small businesses and ensure that Abuja, and indeed Nigeria, becomes a safer place to live, work and invest,” he added.
Obi also prayed for those affected by the incident and emergency responders.
“May God comfort every person affected by this disaster, restore the livelihoods that have been lost, and grant our emergency responders the strength and wisdom required at this difficult moment,” he said.
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