Ed Governorship Election: July 10th, 2025 — A Day of Judgment or a Jaundiced Judiciary?
By Bolaji O. Akinyemi
When Edo State filed out to vote on September 21st, 2024, Nigerians watched keenly. The contest was not merely about who would occupy Osadebe Avenue; it was a referendum on the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process and the resilience of its democracy. Nearly ten months later, the battle now shifts from the ballot box to the Bench — as the Supreme Court delivers its judgment on July 10th, 2025. This is not just a verdict for Edo. It is a defining moment for Nigeria.
The election pitted the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Asue Ighodalo, against the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer, Senator Monday Okpebholo. While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Okpebholo winner, the PDP and its supporters cried foul, alleging widespread rigging, voter suppression, and systemic compromise — accusations that resonate with the recurring theme of electoral betrayal across Nigeria.
On the other hand, APC has maintained the election was free, fair, and reflective of the will of the Edo people. They point to INEC’s official results and the tribunal and appellate court rulings that upheld the victory as validation of their claim.
But elections, especially in Nigeria, are not just about legality — they are about legitimacy. Public opinion on the Edo poll remains deeply divided. Civil society organizations, domestic observers, and ordinary Nigerians have questioned the transparency of the exercise. Many see the legal process not as a pursuit of truth but as a rubber-stamping ritual that validates power over principle.
The journey to the Supreme Court has only deepened public cynicism. After the widely criticized handling of the 2023 presidential election petitions, the judiciary — once seen as the last hope of the common man — is now viewed by many as an accomplice in the erosion of democratic integrity. A growing perception is taking root that the courts are now tools for political coronation, not instruments of justice.
This is why July 10th is more than a legal date — it is a moral crucible. If the court upholds APC’s victory, many will interpret it as another evidence of the judiciary’s capitulation to executive pressure, confirming fears of a total institutional takeover by the ruling party. It will bolster the narrative that justice in Nigeria is no longer blind — it squints at power.
Conversely, a ruling in favor of the PDP may throw up its own complications. While it might rekindle hope in judicial independence, it could trigger political realignment. There are speculations that if the PDP’s candidate, with the backing of Governor Godwin Obaseki, wins at the Supreme Court, he may choose to work with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — a move that could fracture the fragile anti-Tinubu coalition, particularly if Pastor Ituah Ighodalo and Obaseki gravitate towards collaboration with the ruling party.
Either way, the verdict will reverberate far beyond Edo. It will signal to Nigerians — and the international community — whether there is any remaining fidelity to democratic norms and the rule of law. The credibility of the judiciary is not just at stake — it is on trial.
As we inch toward 2027, where another major electoral cycle awaits, this ruling offers the Supreme Court a rare opportunity to salvage public confidence. Can the court rise above suspicion and deliver justice untainted by partisanship? Can it send a message that the judiciary still possesses the moral clarity to right electoral wrongs and uphold the sanctity of the vote?
Nigeria is watching. The world is watching. Tomorrow, July 10th, 2025, may yet be remembered — either as a day of judgment that rekindled faith, or as the moment the judiciary finally lost the people.
The gavel may fall. But will justice rise?
Photo Credit: Daily Post
