The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday affirmed the election of Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected Governor of Edo State, dismissing the petition filed by Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
Delivering judgment, the appellate court upheld the earlier decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which declared Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the fiercely contested poll.
In a swift reaction to the verdict, the PDP announced its intention to challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court, signaling that the legal battle over the Edo governorship is far from over.
At the governorship election held last September, Okpebholo secured a total of 291,667 votes, defeating PDP’s Ighodalo, who polled 247,274 votes. Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) came third with 22,763 votes, while 14 other candidates garnered significantly fewer votes.
The APC candidate dominated the race, winning in over 10 of the state’s 18 local government areas, while the PDP candidate managed narrow victories in the remaining councils. Notably, the APC clinched control of two out of the three battleground senatorial districts in Edo State.
Following his declaration by INEC, Okpebholo was sworn in as Governor on November 12, 2024, succeeding Godwin Obaseki of the PDP at the Dennis Osadebe House in Benin City.
The appellate court’s ruling marks a crucial milestone in the post-election legal tussle, but all eyes now turn to the Supreme Court for what could be the final chapter in this political contest.
More details to follow.
