Asue Ighodalo, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, has fiercely rejected the Supreme Court’s verdict affirming the election of Monday Okpebholo, describing it as “a tragic betrayal of democracy” and “judicial validation of electoral robbery.”
In a strongly worded statement titled “Final Statement on the Supreme Court Judgement in the Edo Governorship Election Petition,” Ighodalo minced no words, slamming the judgment as a “coordinated injustice” that defied the will of the Edo people.
“I accept the finality of the judgment, but not its fairness,” Ighodalo said. “What happened in the September 2024 governorship election was not a democratic exercise—it was a robbery. Coordinated. Deliberate. And now, sadly, sanctified by the apex court.”
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the appeal filed by Ighodalo and the PDP, upholding the earlier decisions of the Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal which had both validated Okpebholo’s victory. A five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba ruled that the petitioners failed to substantiate their allegations of electoral malpractice.
However, Ighodalo remained unyielding in his critique of the process. He alleged that the judgment trampled the people’s mandate and eroded public trust in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“Like many Edo citizens, I feel a deep and painful sense of betrayal,” he said. “Not just by those who rigged the system, but by the very institutions entrusted with safeguarding our democracy. You came out to vote for competence, for vision, for a better Edo. But today, we are told that your votes mean nothing—that your hopes can be snatched away without consequence.”
Despite the judicial setback, Ighodalo urged his supporters not to be disheartened, assuring them that the quest for a prosperous Edo State was far from over.
He warned that the consequences of what he termed “illegitimate leadership” would soon manifest in governance failures, poor policy direction, and suffering among the people.
“The weight of this illegitimacy will not remain confined to the pages of court rulings—it will manifest in everyday hardship, in poor governance, in broken promises,” he declared. “To those who now hold power without merit, I say: govern with humility. History has eyes, and it will write its own judgment.”
This is not the first time Ighodalo has openly challenged the outcome of the controversial election. In May, he rejected the ruling of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed his petition for lacking merit and upheld the verdict of the lower tribunal. Justice Mohammed Danjuma, who delivered the appellate judgment, ruled that the PDP and its candidate failed to provide sufficient evidence of irregularities or a miscarriage of justice.
Still, Ighodalo maintains that the fight for electoral integrity in Edo is not over—only paused.
“Our journey continues,” he said. “For democracy. For justice. For Edo.”
PIONEER NEWS 