Edo State PDP Governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo
By EZEKIEL OBI, Abuja-
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the September 2024 governorship election in Edo State, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, has expressed deep disappointment and betrayal over the Supreme Court’s judgment upholding the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, Ighodalo said, “Though I accept the finality of the judgment, I do not and cannot pretend that what was delivered amounts to justice.
“What happened in the September 2024 Governorship Election was not a contest. It was a robbery. Coordinated. Deliberate. And now, tragically validated by the highest court in the land.”
*“A Deep Sense of Betrayal”*
Ighodalo expressed his feelings, saying, “Like you, I feel a deep sense of betrayal. Not just by those who rigged the process, but by the very institutions we trusted to protect our democracy. You came out in hope. You voted for competence, for progress, for prosperity. And now, we are told that your voice does not matter.”
The PDP candidate acknowledged the pain and anger of the Edo people, saying, “I feel your pain. I share your anger. And I will never forget your courage.”
Despite the Supreme Court’s judgment, Ighodalo remains resolute, saying, “We may not have won the office, but we won something greater. We found one another.
“We discovered our collective strength. Though this painful chapter closes today, our beautiful story does not end.”
Ighodalo vowed to continue fighting for a better Edo, advising Governor Okpebholo to govern with humility and conscience.
“To those who now hold power undeserved, lead with humility. Govern with conscience. History sees what the courts may not. And one day, it will deliver its own verdict,” he concluded.
