Breaking: Appeal Court Delivers Judgment on PDP’s Suit Seeking Sack of Edo Governor

• The Abuja Court of Appeal has affirmed the election of Monday Okpebholo’s victory as Edo state governor
• The court ruled in favour of the governor on Thursday, May 29, affirming the earlier decision of the Edo state governorship election petition tribunal, which earlier validated his victory at the September 21, 2024, election
• The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal by the PDP and its governorship candidate in the disputed poll, Asue Ighodalo, to confirm Okpebholo’s electoral victory

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering elections, politics, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

FCT, Abuja - The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday, May 29, upheld the election of Monday Okpebholo as the Governor of Edo.

As reported by Channels Television, the court dismissed the petition of Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, 2024, governorship election in the south-south state.

Premium Times also noted the Appeal Court's verdict.

In January, an 'investigative report' alleged that the Edo governorship election was rigged for the All Progressives Congress (APC) by design. But a three-member bench of the Court of Appeal delivered judgments on three appeals and one counter-appeal, which ultimately upheld the April 2 verdict of the lower governorship election tribunal that affirmed Okpebholo’s victory.

The appeal filed by the PDP and its candidate, Ighodalo, drew the most attention.

Ighodalo and the PDP filed the appeal against the tribunal’s judgment, which dismissed their petition against the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

At the poll last September, Okpebholo of APC secured 291,667 votes to defeat PDP’s Ighodalo, who got 247,274 votes, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), who came a distant third in the race with 22,763 votes. 14 other candidates contested the seat but got less than the three frontline candidates.

The APC candidate cleared over 10 of the 18 local government areas, leaving the PDP candidate with marginal victory in the other local councils. The APC gained control in two of the three battleground senatorial districts in the state.

Okpebholo was immediately declared returned elected by the electoral umpire INEC and sworn in as governor on November 12, 2024, when he took over the much-coveted seat at the Dennis Osadebe House from PDP’s Godwin Obaseki.

In its immediate response to Thursday's verdict, the PDP said the judgment of the appellate court would be contested at the Supreme Court.

Read more Edo news:

• 2025 hajj: Tragedy as 75-year-old Edo pilgrim dies in Saudi Arabia
• Edo governor increases minimum wage

Edo deputy speaker resigns

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Maria Oligbi-Edeko representing Esan North-East II resigned from her position as the deputy speaker of the Edo house of assembly.

Edeko resigned in Edo following the minority status of the PDP in the assembly.

The PDP has lost its position due to the defection of its members, including the Speaker, to the ruling APC.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng