The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the governor of Edo State.
A five-man panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba Lawal held that the appellants, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, failed to establish their claims of election non-compliance and unlawful votes.
The appeal was therefore dismissed for lacking merit
Thursday’s verdict came about 11 months after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Okpebholo as the winner of the Edo governorship election.
INEC declared Okpebholo the winner of the Edo governorship election in September 2024, with 291,667 votes. Ighodalo, his closest rival, garnered 247,274 votes, while Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) took a distant third place with 22,763 votes.
Dissatisfied with the election outcome, Ighodalo and the PDP took the matter to court, alleging irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.
However, the election tribunal and the Court of Appeal dismissed their petitions, holding that they lacked merit.
The Supreme Court has now affirmed the decisions of the lower courts.
Governor Okpebholo has welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict and extended an olive branch to his opponents and members of the opposition.
In a statement, his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, said, “The elections are over; the real work of governance and healing must begin.”
Okpebholo urged political leaders to rise above division and contribute constructively to building a greater Edo State.
In contrast, Asue Ighodalo has faulted the court’s decision, describing it as a betrayal.
He alleged that the election was rigged in favour of the APC and that the Supreme Court’s verdict was a validation of this “deliberate and coordinated robbery.”
Ighodalo expressed a deep sense of betrayal, not just by those who rigged the process, but by the institutions trusted to protect democracy.
The Supreme Court’s verdict has brought an end to the legal battles surrounding the Edo State governorship election.
While Okpebholo has been affirmed as the governor, Ighodalo’s reaction highlighted lthe deep divisions and controversies that characterized the election.
