Edo guber: PDP candidate, Ighodalo reacts to S’Court ruling affirming Okpebholo’s election
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2024 Edo State governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, has strongly criticised the Supreme Court’s ruling affirming the election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, as governor.
A five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Lawal dismissed Ighodalo’s appeal, stating the PDP and its candidate failed to prove claims of electoral malpractice, unlawful votes, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Reacting to the judgment on Thursday, Ighodalo described the ruling as a “betrayal by the very institutions we trusted to protect our democracy.” He insisted that the 22 September 2024 poll was “a deliberate and coordinated robbery”, although he provided no evidence to substantiate his rigging allegations.
While acknowledging the legal finality of the court’s decision, Ighodalo said it did not amount to justice. He lamented the disenfranchisement of voters who, in his words, “voted for competence, progress, and prosperity.”
“I feel your pain. I share your anger. And I will never forget your courage,” he told supporters in an emotional statement.
Despite the legal setback, Ighodalo urged his followers not to lose hope, stating that the movement they built was not in vain.
“We may not have won the office, but we won something greater. We found one another. We discovered our collective strength,” he declared.
He warned that the “weight of this illegitimacy” would be felt in the state, citing the potential for weak governance and poor policy. Nevertheless, he called on those now in power to “lead with humility” and reminded them that “history sees what the courts may not.”
Ighodalo concluded with a vow of continued resistance:
“We will not retreat. We will not be silenced. And we will never forget.”
The Supreme Court’s ruling puts an end to legal challenges surrounding the 2024 Edo gubernatorial election and cements Okpebholo’s position as the state’s governor.