The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected Governor of Edo State.
The verdict put an end to months of legal contestation following the September 21, 2024 governorship poll held in the state.
In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, a five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Mohammed Garba dismissed the appeal filed by Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for lacking merit.
Justice Garba, who read the lead judgment, stated that the appellants failed to establish any credible evidence to proof that Okpebholo did not secure lawful votes during the election.
He also noted that the PDP and its candidate did not sufficiently demonstrate how the decisions of the election tribunal and the Court of Appeal were perverse.
“The appeal is hereby dismissed for lacking in merit and the judgment affirms the decision of the tribunal and Court of Appeal,” Justice Garba declared.
LEADERSHIP reports that the verdict solidified the position of Senator Okpebholo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the legitimate winner of the 2024 gubernatorial election in Edo State.
Recall that the PDP had alleged widespread irregularities and sought to have the election nullified.
However, both the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal dismissed the petition, prompting the final appeal to the Supreme Court.
With this judgment, the legal battles surrounding the Edo governorship contest have been conclusively laid to rest.
