The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday confirmed Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected Governor of Edo State, dismissing the petition filed by Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
Okpebholo, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after securing 291,667 votes. His main opponent, Ighodalo of the PDP, garnered 247,274 votes, while Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) finished a distant third with 22,763 votes. Fourteen other candidates also contested but had minimal impact on the election outcome.
The APC candidate won decisively in over 10 of Edo’s 18 local government areas, with the PDP claiming narrow victories in the remaining councils. The APC also controlled two out of the three key senatorial districts in the state. Following the announcement, Okpebholo was sworn in as governor on November 12, 2024, succeeding PDP’s Godwin Obaseki at the Dennis Osadebe House.
Dissatisfied with the results, Ighodalo challenged the election at the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. In April 2025, a three-member tribunal panel led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi dismissed Ighodalo’s petition. The tribunal found that the PDP candidate and other petitioners, including the Accord Party, failed to present credible witnesses to support their claims of non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Justice Kpochi’s judgment stressed that allegations of electoral non-compliance must be clearly proven with evidence from polling unit officers, presiding officers, or voters. The petitioners’ failure to produce such witnesses was described as fatal to their case.
Undeterred, Ighodalo escalated the matter to the Court of Appeal seeking to overturn the tribunal’s ruling. However, the appellate court rejected the petition, affirming Okpebholo’s election as governor.
The PDP has stated that it will take the case to the Supreme Court, which remains the last judicial option for the party to challenge the election outcome.
The legal dispute highlights the intense political contest in Edo State, a key battleground in Nigeria’s South-South region. The state has witnessed fierce competition between the APC and PDP, with governorship elections closely watched for their wider implications on regional power balance.
With the Appeal Court decision, Okpebholo’s position as governor remains secured for now, but the final verdict on the election may only come from the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the APC continues to consolidate its hold on Edo politics, building on its gains in the 2024 polls.
As the case heads to the Supreme Court, Nigerians await the highest court’s decision which will bring clarity and hopefully closure to the Edo governorship saga.
