By Jane Okafor, Abuja
The Supreme Court of Nigeria on Thursday dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, affirmed Senator Monday Okpebholo as the Governor of Edo State, and bringing to a close Ighodalo’s tortuous legal battle to unseat Okpebholo.
A 5-member panel of the Supreme Court in a lead judgment delivered by Justice Lawal Garba, held that the PDP and Ighodalo were unable to prove their case of over-voting, non-compliance with the Electoral Act, among other alleged infractions they relied on to challenge the electoral victory of Okpebholo.
In the unanimous judgment, the apex court held that with the submission before it by virtue of the majority of lawful votes cast, Ighodalo was not elected as Governor.
The Supreme Court held that the PDP candidate failed to prove non-compliance but merely challenged the outcome of the election in 395 of the 4,519 polling units where elections were took place in Edo State last November, 2024.
The apex court panel also said the 19 witnesses called at the Tribunal stage were not helpful to the case of the PDP in challenging the outcome of the election.
The apex court held that it found no reason to set aside the previous judgment of the lower courts, stating that the appellant failed to prove, without doubt, admissible evidence to the claim that the election was marred by irregularities and over-voting and proceeded to dismiss Igodhalo’s appeal.
The Daily Crucible reports that the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, had on May 29, 2025, affirmed the decision of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that affirmed the election victory of Governor Okpebholo.
The three-member panel of the Appellate court in a unanimous decision dismissed Ighodalo’s appeal, describing it as lacking any merit.
The Daily Crucible also reports that on April 2, 2025, a three-member panel of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, chaired by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, in a in a landmark decision, dismissed the petition of the PDP and Ighodalo for their inability to substantiate their allegations of over-voting, non-compliance among others, as claimed in their petition challenging Okpebholo’s victory.
