The Supreme Court has upheld Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected Governor of Edo State, confirming his victory in the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
A five-member panel of the apex court on Thursday delivered the unanimous verdict, dismissing the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who had challenged the outcome of the poll.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Lawal Garba ruled that the appellants failed to substantiate claims of over-voting, electoral irregularities, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act. The court held that the PDP and its candidate did not provide sufficient evidence to invalidate Okpebholo’s victory.
The court noted that the challenge focused on 395 of the 4,519 polling units where elections were conducted, and that the evidence presented by the PDP fell short of proving widespread irregularities capable of overturning the election results.
Furthermore, the panel found that the testimonies of the 19 witnesses presented during the tribunal proceedings failed to strengthen the PDP’s case.
With this judgment, the Supreme Court has put to rest all legal disputes surrounding the Edo governorship election, reaffirming Monday Okpebholo’s mandate as the legitimate governor.
