The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected Governor of Edo State in the 2024 governorship election.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, dismissed an appeal filed by Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, who sought to overturn the election results.
Garba ruled that the appellants failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove that Okpebholo did not secure lawful votes or that the decisions of the lower courts were perverse.
“The appeal is hereby dismissed for lacking in merit, and the judgment affirms the decisions of the tribunal and the court of appeal,” Garba declared.
Ighodalo, through his counsel Ken Mosia, had asked the court to void Okpebholo’s victory and declare him the rightful winner of the poll, claiming he received the majority of lawful votes cast.
However, INEC’s counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal entirely.
INEC had declared Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, winner of the September 21, 2024 election with 291,667 votes, ahead of Ighodalo’s 247,274 votes, while Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) finished third with 22,763 votes.
Ighodalo and the PDP initially challenged the results at the election tribunal, citing alleged non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and electoral irregularities.
On April 2, a three-member tribunal panel led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi dismissed the petition, stating the petitioners failed to call competent witnesses or provide compelling evidence.
The petitioners then appealed to the Court of Appeal, but on May 29, another three-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma dismissed the appeal for lacking merit.
Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling brings an end to the legal contest over the 2024 Edo governorship election.
