The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Thursday affirmed the election of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected Governor of Edo State, dismissing the appeal filed by Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, 2024 governorship election.

Delivering judgment, a three-member panel of the appellate court led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma unanimously held that Ighodalo’s appeal was unmeritorious and failed to establish any basis to overturn the earlier ruling of the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

“The appellants have not shown that the tribunal erred in its findings or that any miscarriage of justice occurred,” the court ruled, effectively affirming the tribunal’s decision delivered in April 2025.

At the 2024 governorship election, Okpebholo of the APC polled 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo of the PDP, who garnered 247,274 votes, while Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) came a distant third with 22,763 votes. Fourteen other candidates participated in the election but failed to make significant impact.

The APC candidate won in more than 10 of the 18 local government areas in Edo State, dominating in two of the state’s three senatorial districts, a performance that led the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare him winner. Okpebholo was subsequently sworn in on November 12, 2024, succeeding former Governor Godwin Obaseki of the PDP.

Unwilling to concede defeat, Ighodalo approached the election petition tribunal, alleging irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act. However, in its judgment, the tribunal headed by Justice Wilfred Kpochi dismissed the petition, ruling that Ighodalo and other petitioners failed to present competent witnesses or substantive evidence to support their claims.

The tribunal emphasized that allegations of non-compliance must be proven convincingly, noting the absence of testimonies from polling unit officials, presiding officers, or even voters.

Following the tribunal’s dismissal, Ighodalo filed an appeal seeking to overturn the verdict. However, with Thursday’s decision by the Court of Appeal, his hopes now rest solely on the Supreme Court, which remains his final legal avenue to contest the outcome of the poll.

Reacting to the judgment, Ighodalo rejected the ruling and vowed to challenge it at the apex court.