Edo 2024 Election: Supreme Court Upholds Okpebholo’s Victory, Ighodalo Slams Ruling as ‘Coordinated Robbery’

By Okafor Joseph Afam | Publisher, Springnewsng | July 11, 2025

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has upheld the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo, affirming his victory in the hotly contested September 2024 Edo State governorship election. The judgment marks the end of a prolonged legal battle led by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo.

Delivering its final verdict, the apex court ruled in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, bringing legal closure to the months-long dispute. However, the court’s ruling has sparked outrage from Ighodalo, who condemned the decision in strong terms.

“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,” Ighodalo said in a statement issued shortly after the ruling.

The PDP candidate accused Nigeria’s key democratic institutions of failing to uphold justice and protect the will of the Edo electorate. He expressed deep concern that the judgment could pave the way for incompetent governance in the state.

“You came out in hope. You voted for competence… and now, we are told your voice does not matter,” he told his supporters.

Despite his frustration, Ighodalo called for calm and resilience among his followers. He stressed that the movement had achieved a greater victory by awakening the collective political consciousness of the people.

“We may not have won the office, but we won something greater. We found one another. We discovered our collective strength,” he said.

The Supreme Court judgment now clears the path for Governor Okpebholo to continue his tenure, but the political fallout from the ruling may linger as the PDP vows to keep pressing for electoral reforms and accountability in future contests.