Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo
Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal filed by Mr. Asue Ighodalo and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the Governor of Edo State.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Garba Lawal, the apex court held that the appeal lacked merit. Ighodalo’s lawyer, Ken Mosia SAN, had urged the court to nullify Okpebholo’s election and declare his client the winner, arguing that he scored the majority of lawful votes.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), represented by Kanu Agabi SAN, countered that Ighodalo and PDP had inconsistently stigmatized the election as invalid and unlawful due to non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.
INEC argued that having declared the election unlawful, Ighodalo and PDP couldn’t pray the court to declare them winners.
Agabi said, “Ighodalo and PDP have been inconsistent in their grievances against the election.
“Having declared the election unlawful and illegal, they cannot turn around and pray the court to declare them as winners of illegality.”
The Supreme Court’s decision affirms the earlier judgments of the Court of Appeal and the election tribunal, which upheld Okpebholo’s election.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had on May 29 upheld Okpebholo’s election, dismissing Ighodalo’s case for lack of merit.
The Supreme Court’s judgment has now dealt a final blow to Ighodalo’s appeal.
