Supreme Court Affirms Governor Okpebholo’s Election Victory, Dismisses PDP’s Appeal

The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected Governor of Edo State, dismissing the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo. The appeal challenged the outcome of the September 21, 2024, governorship election, which was declared in Okpebholo’s favor by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The PDP and Ighodalo, through their lead counsel and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ken Mozia, had sought to overturn the decisions of both the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in Abuja. The lower courts had previously dismissed the petition for lacking merit and affirmed INEC’s declaration of Okpebholo as the winner.

With Thursday’s ruling, the Supreme Court has brought the legal contest to a close, solidifying Governor Okpebholo’s mandate and ending the PDP’s bid to reclaim the seat through judicial means.