In a decisive judgment delivered in Abuja on Thursday, the Court of Appeal upheld the election of Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected Governor of Edo State, striking a severe blow to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
The judgment comes after months of legal battle following the September 21, 2024 governorship election. Ighodalo had challenged the results, alleging widespread irregularities, vote suppression, and electoral malpractice.
The appellate court ruled that the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act, and dismissed the PDP’s petition as lacking in merit.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
“The evidence before the court does not support the allegations of irregularities. The election was conducted in accordance with the law,” the ruling stated.
The verdict effectively cements Okpebholo’s tenure, reinforcing his legitimacy as the governor.
The PDP wasted no time in expressing its rejection of the judgment.
“This ruling is unacceptable. The will of Edo people has been subverted. We are proceeding to the Supreme Court to reclaim our stolen mandate,” a top PDP official declared shortly after the verdict.
Party leaders maintain that the election was flawed and are confident of overturning the result at the apex court.
At the September 2024 poll, Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured 291,667 votes, while Ighodalo polled 247,274 votes. Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) came third with 22,763 votes. Fourteen other candidates contested the election but failed to make significant impact.
The APC secured over 10 out of 18 local government areas, clinching victories in two of the three battleground senatorial districts, which proved pivotal to Okpebholo’s win.
READ ALSO: Okpebholo Rallies Stakeholders to Combat Insecurity in Edo North
Okpebholo was officially declared elected by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and was sworn in on November 12, 2024, taking over from PDP’s Godwin Obaseki at Dennis Osadebe House in Benin City.
The ruling reaffirms the APC’s grip on the state and sets the tone for the party’s political trajectory in the region.
Leave a comment