The legal battle over the Edo State governorship election is far from over as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, are set to challenge the Court of Appeal’s judgment at the Supreme Court.
On Thursday, the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja affirmed Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected Governor of Edo State, throwing out the PDP’s appeal for lacking merit.
Justice Mohammed Danjuma, who delivered the lead judgment, ruled that the appellants failed to provide compelling evidence or credible witnesses to support their claims of electoral irregularities, including over-voting. The three-member panel unanimously upheld the earlier decision of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
“The foundation of the appellants’ case having collapsed, the appeal lacked merit and is hereby dismissed,” the court declared.
In reaction to the verdict, Ighodalo expressed his intention to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court. Speaking with Hobnob News, Chris Nehikhare, Publicity Secretary of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, confirmed that the party would file the appeal within the stipulated time frame.
Meanwhile, Governor Okpebholo welcomed the appellate court’s ruling and urged his opponent and the PDP to put politics aside and join him in advancing the state’s development agenda.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, the governor described the judgment as “a reaffirmation of the will of the people,” noting that it should signal the end of “divisive politics.”
“This ruling is not just a victory for the APC but a triumph for democracy and the rule of law in Edo State,” Okpebholo said.
He emphasized the need for unity and called on political opponents to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship. “The legal process has run its course. Now is the time to work together for the benefit of all Edo residents,” he added, reiterating his administration’s commitment to a “people-first” governance model.
Okpebholo won the September 21, 2024, election with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo who secured 247,655 votes. Dissatisfied, the PDP filed a petition challenging the results, citing over-voting, non-serialization of ballot papers, and other irregularities.
The tribunal, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, dismissed the petition on April 2, stating that the PDP and Ighodalo failed to prove their case with credible, direct evidence. It ruled that most of the testimonies were hearsay and that technical evidence presented—such as BVAS machines—were not properly analyzed or linked to specific polling units.
“None of the witnesses could speak to the contents of the BVAS machines. They remained dormant,” Justice Kpochi noted.
The tribunal further stated that documents do not speak for themselves without human testimony to interpret them and confirmed that INEC complied with the Electoral Act in its processes.
With the appellate court now backing that decision, all eyes turn to the Supreme Court, where Ighodalo and the PDP hope to reverse the lower courts’ rulings.
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