The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has condemned the Supreme Court’s judgment affirming Senator Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected governor, describing the ruling as a “tragedy” and “a betrayal of democracy.”
Naijaonpoint reports that Ighodalo, in a statement issued on Thursday and titled “Final Statement on the Supreme Court Judgement in the Edo Governorship Election Petition”, said that although he accepts the finality of the apex court’s ruling, it fell short of delivering true justice.
He stated, “Though I accept the finality of its judgment, I do not and cannot pretend that what was delivered amounts to justice.”
The apex court, in a ruling delivered by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, dismissed Ighodalo’s appeal, citing a lack of evidence to support the claims of electoral irregularities.
The judgment upheld the earlier decisions of the election tribunal and the Court of Appeal, both of which had ruled in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, who emerged victorious in the September 2024 governorship poll.
However, Ighodalo, reacting to the judgment, alleged that the people’s mandate had been stolen and lamented what he called a coordinated betrayal by Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
Ighodalo said, “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.
“Like you, I feel a deep sense of betrayal. Not just by those who rigged the process, but by the very institutions we trusted to protect our democracy.”
The PDP flagbearer accused both the electoral and judicial systems of failing the people of Edo State, insisting that the outcome of the polls did not reflect the will of the electorate.
Ighodalo lamented, “You came out in hope. You voted for competence, for progress, for prosperity. And now, we are told that your voice does not matter. That your freely given mandate can be trampled without consequence.”
While urging his supporters not to lose faith, Ighodalo warned that the consequences of what he described as an “illegitimate mandate” would manifest in the quality of governance and the hardship faced by citizens.
“The weight of this illegitimacy will, unfortunately, echo beyond the halls of the Supreme Court. I fear Edo will feel it in the absence of leadership, in the poverty of policy, and in the daily suffering of her people,” he stated.
Ighodalo concluded by addressing those now in power, urging them to rule with a sense of history and moral responsibility.
He added, “To those who now hold power undeserved, lead with humility. Govern with conscience. History sees what the courts may not. And one day, it will deliver its own verdict.”