BREAKING: Appeal Court Upholds Okpebholo’s Election As Edo Governor, Dismisses PDP’s Appeal

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected Governor of Edo State.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, the appellate court dismissed the petition filed by Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election.

The court ruled that Ighodalo and the PDP failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate their allegations of electoral irregularities, including vote manipulation, overvoting, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

The court maintained that the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the law. It upheld the earlier ruling of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had also dismissed Ighodalo’s petition.

In its immediate reaction, the PDP expressed disappointment in the judgment and announced its intention to seek redress at the Supreme Court.

The party described the appellate court’s decision as a temporary setback and reiterated its belief that its candidate, Ighodalo, was the rightful winner of the election.

The September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State was fiercely contested, primarily between the APC’s Okpebholo and PDP’s Ighodalo.

While Okpebholo, a former senator, emerged as the APC candidate after a tightly contested primary, Ighodalo, a lawyer and businessman, was widely seen as the PDP’s attempt to reclaim the state after Governor Godwin Obaseki’s two terms in office.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Okpebholo the winner of the election, a result that was immediately rejected by the PDP, which filed a petition before the Election Tribunal.

The PDP alleged that the APC’s victory was marred by widespread irregularities and malpractices, calling for the annulment of the election or the declaration of Ighodalo as the winner.

After the Tribunal dismissed the petition in early 2025, the PDP took the case to the Court of Appeal, hoping for a reversal.

However, with Thursday’s ruling, the APC is expected to consolidate its hold on Edo State ahead of the 2027 general elections, pending the final decision of the Supreme Court.

As the political and legal drama continues, all eyes now turn to Nigeria’s apex court, which will have the final say on the fate of the Edo governorship.