The Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed the election of Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected Governor of Edo State, putting an end to months of legal tussles over the September 21, 2024, governorship election.
NaijaBlog reports that a five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, on Thursday, July 10, dismissed the appeal filed by Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing it as lacking in merit.
“The appeal is hereby dismissed,” Justice Garba declared. “The judgments of both the tribunal and the Court of Appeal are affirmed.”
The court held that the PDP failed to prove its claims that Okpebholo did not lawfully win the election and could not establish any miscarriage of justice in the decisions of the election tribunal and Court of Appeal in Abuja.
The verdict aligns with the official declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which had named Okpebholo the winner of the election.
PDP Slams Governor Okpebholo Over Alleged Misplaced Priorities
Reacting to the judgment, the Edo State chapter of the PDP accused Governor Okpebholo of wasting public funds on political events instead of focusing on governance.
In a statement issued by Chris Osa Nehikhare, the PDP’s caretaker publicity secretary, the opposition party described the governor’s recent activities as self-serving.
“Barely days after squandering billions of naira to host APC governors in Benin City, Okpebholo is planning another wasteful event — the so-called South-South Summit,” Nehikhare said.
He further alleged that while the state battles economic challenges, the governor has been “junketing across the country in search of loans” and diverting funds to “hollow gatherings.”
Despite the backlash, Governor Okpebholo has maintained that his administration remains focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Edo.
