Supreme Court Affirms Okpebholo's Victory, Ends Edo Guber Tussle
The legal battle for the Edo State governorship officially concluded yesterday, July 10, 2025, as the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered a decisive blow to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, by affirming the election of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This landmark decision by the nation's apex court unequivocally laid to rest all legal challenges to Okpebholo's September 2024 governorship election win.
The unanimous judgment, delivered by a five-member panel of Supreme Court justices led by the venerable Justice Mohammed Garba, upheld the concurrent verdicts of both the Court of Appeal and the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. Both lower judicial bodies had previously validated Okpebholo's hard-fought victory.
Justice Garba, in delivering the lead judgment, meticulously detailed the Supreme Court's reasoning for dismissing the appeal filed by Ighodalo and the PDP. The court found their case to be utterly lacking in merit and plagued by insufficient proof. Key issues highlighted included:
Limited Scope of Challenge: The appellants had only challenged the results in a mere 395 out of the 4,519 polling units across Edo State.
Insufficient Witnesses: Their reliance on only 19 witnesses was deemed inadequate to substantiate their wide-ranging claims of irregularities.
Failure to Prove Allegations: Crucially, the PDP and Ighodalo failed to present credible and admissible evidence to prove allegations of overvoting or substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
"Dumped" Evidence: The court observed that some evidence, such as data from Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, was merely "dumped" before the tribunal without proper presentation or the crucial testimony of relevant witnesses to establish the alleged non-compliance.
Governor Monday Okpebholo was initially declared the winner of the September 21, 2024, Edo State gubernatorial election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He secured a commanding 291,667 votes, triumphing over his closest contender, Asue Ighogalo of the PDP, who garnered 247,274 votes. Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party trailed with 22,763 votes. Okpebholo's victory spanned 11 of the state's 18 Local Government Areas.
In a poignant reaction to the Supreme Court's verdict, Asue Ighodalo expressed profound disappointment and a palpable sense of betrayal, despite acknowledging the finality of the judgment. He vehemently stated his belief that the judgment did not amount to justice, describing the election as a "robbery" that was "coordinated, deliberate, and now tragically validated by the highest court in the land."
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu swiftly extended his congratulations to Governor Monday Okpebholo on the Supreme Court victory. The President urged Okpebholo to exhibit magnanimity in victory and to unify all citizens towards the accelerated development and good governance of Edo State, now that the intricate legal hurdles have been conclusively cleared.
This definitive Supreme Court verdict brings an end to the protracted electoral litigation, allowing Governor Okpebholo to fully immerse himself in the crucial task of governing Edo State.
