Edo State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Asue Ighodalo, has vowed to challenge the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which on Thursday upheld the election of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Governor.
The appellate court sitting in Abuja affirmed the earlier judgment of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which dismissed the PDP’s petition against the outcome of the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who polled 247,655. Dissatisfied with the results, the PDP and Ighodalo had approached the tribunal, alleging non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022, manipulation of results during collation, and irregularities in 765 polling units that allegedly led to over-voting in favor of the APC.
The petitioners presented 19 witnesses to support their claims and submitted 153 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines. However, the tribunal ruled that the evidence was weak and largely based on hearsay.
It noted that most witnesses were not polling unit agents or direct observers and that the documents and BVAS machines presented failed to demonstrate credible irregularities.
The Court of Appeal upheld the tribunal’s findings, stating that the PDP failed to meet the legal threshold to nullify the election.
Undeterred, Ighodalo has pledged to continue his legal battle by taking the matter to the Supreme Court. “We believe in the strength of our case and will pursue it to the highest court,” he stated.
