The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, against the election victory of Senator Monday Okpebholo, the Governor of Edo State. The appeal was ruled as baseless and dismissed entirely.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Mohammed Danjuma stated that the PDP and Ighodalo did not present convincing evidence to challenge the earlier ruling by the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal. That tribunal had already rejected their petition against the September 24, 2024, governorship election.
Justice Danjuma noted that the election was properly organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the declaration of Okpebholo as the winner was lawful and valid. He also said there was no proof of any wrongdoing or unfair treatment in the tribunal’s decision.
The appellate court agreed unanimously, with all three justices on the panel backing the ruling. The court noted that the PDP and its candidate failed to show any form of injustice or irregularity in how the election or the earlier legal process was handled.
The PDP and Ighodalo had argued that the election result should be overturned due to what they claimed were issues in the conduct of the poll. However, the court found no solid reason to support this claim.
Justice Danjuma said plainly that the appeal “was devoid of merit,” and for that reason, it could not stand. He maintained that the tribunal’s earlier judgment was fair and in line with the law.
