The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday, May 29, upheld the election of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor of Edo State.
Delivering judgment, a three-member panel of the appellate court dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, ruling that it lacked merit.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, the tribunal ruled that the petitioners failed to prove non-compliance with the Electoral Act, particularly because they did not call polling unit officers, presiding officers or voters to support their claims.
Justice Kpochi had said, “Non-compliance must be proven convincingly.”
The court ruled that the appellants failed to prove that the election tribunal erred in its earlier judgment and affirmed the tribunal’s decision delivered on April 2.
It also maintained that Okpebholo’s victory in the September 21, 2024, governorship election stands.
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Reacting to the judgment, the PDP said it would challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court.
Okpebholo had emerged winner of the September 21, 2024 governorship election, polling 291,667 votes to defeat Ighodalo who scored 247,274.
Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party came third with 22,763 votes. Fourteen other candidates trailed behind.
The APC candidate secured victories in more than 10 of the 18 local government areas, and gained control of two of the state’s three senatorial districts.
He was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and sworn in on November 12, 2024, succeeding Godwin Obaseki of the PDP.
Ighodalo, disputing the outcome, had approached the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which in April 2025 dismissed his petition for lack of evidence.