The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, dismissing the appeal filed by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Asuerinme Ighodalo.
A five-member panel of justices led by Justice Mohammed Garba delivered the unanimous judgment, affirming the earlier decisions of both the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, which had also validated Okpebholo’s victory under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Lack of Evidence Doomed PDP Appeal
Justice Garba, reading the lead judgment, stated that the PDP and Ighodalo failed to provide credible and admissible evidence to substantiate their allegations of widespread irregularities, including over-voting, BVAS non-compliance, and result manipulation.
“The appellant did not satisfactorily discharge the burden of proof placed on him by the law,” Garba said.
The court particularly faulted the PDP for failing to call essential witnesses to validate their claims and documents, many of which were said to have been “dumped” on the tribunal without demonstration or authentication.
INEC, APC React
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Governor Okpebholo, and the APC had all urged the apex court to dismiss the appeal, insisting that the election was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act.
INEC had declared Okpebholo the winner of the September 21, 2024 election with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who polled 247,655 votes.
The PDP had challenged results in 765 polling units, alleging manipulation, improper use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and failure by INEC to properly serialize sensitive election materials.
However, both the tribunal and the appellate court earlier ruled that these claims lacked merit and were unsupported by credible witness testimony.
Finality of the Supreme Court Verdict
With Thursday’s ruling, the legal battle over the Edo State governorship election has reached its final stop, as the Supreme Court’s judgment is final.
The ruling now formally validates Monday Okpebholo’s position as the duly elected Governor of Edo State.
