The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo as Governor of Edo State, rejecting a legal challenge filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, on the grounds of no evidence of fraud. In its judgement delivered on Thursday, a panel of three justices led by Justice M. A. Danjuma dismissed the appeal and affirmed the earlier decision of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had declared Okpebholo the rightful winner of the September 21, 2024, governorship election.
Okpebholo, who contested under the banner of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling 291,667 votes, ahead of Ighodalo, who secured 247,655 votes. Disputing the result, the PDP approached the tribunal, citing electoral misconduct, result manipulation in hundreds of polling units, over-voting, and issues related to the deployment of sensitive election materials. The petitioners brought 19 witnesses and submitted several documents to support their claims, insisting that the APC candidate was wrongly declared the winner.
However, both the tribunal and the appellate court concluded that the petitioners failed to present convincing evidence to support their allegations. The appeal court stated that most of the testimonies provided were hearsay and that the documents tendered in court were not properly linked to the claims being made. Furthermore, the failure to present polling unit agents or electoral officials as witnesses was seen as a major weakness in the case. The court reiterated that the responsibility of proving electoral malpractice lies with the complainants, a burden the PDP was unable to meet.
Following the ruling, Dr. Ighodalo expressed his dissatisfaction with the outcome and announced his intention to challenge the decision at the Supreme Court. He argued that the election process was flawed and that the legal system remains the last hope for justice. As the legal dispute heads to the apex court, political observers note that the prolonged challenge may continue to influence the political climate in Edo State as preparations begin for future elections.
