Dr. Asue Ighodalo
As the Supreme Court today (July 10, 2025) laid to rest the dispute over who won the September 21, 2024, Edo State governorship election by affirming the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, the defeated candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Dr. Asue Ighodalo has lamented, with deep sense of betrayal, the final outcome of his petition challenging the declaration of Okpebholo winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that the INEC had declared Okpebholo winner of the election with 291,667 votes against Ighodalo’s 247,274 votes and Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata with 22,763 votes, results Ighodalo rejected, vowing to go the whole judicial hog to reclaim his purported stolen mandate.
But after failing to upturn Okpebholo’s victory at the Election Petition Tribunal and at the Appeal Court, the PDP and its candidate took their case to the apex court, hoping to get “justice” as Ighodalo affirmed his confidence in the integrity of the court to give him victory.
Seemingly putting the Supreme Court on the spot after the Appeal Court judgement of May 29, 2025, which threw out his petition, Ighodalo, a seasoned lawyer, called on the apex court to uphold justice and to consider the broader implications of its decision, emphasising that the eyes of Edo people, and indeed all Nigerians, now looked up to it with hope.
Reacting to the appellate court’s judgement, Ighodalo in a statement, said “The Supreme Court now bears a profound responsibility, not only to interpret the law and apply same to available facts, but to defend the democratic principles that give the law its meaning.
“We approach the apex court with full confidence in its integrity, its independence, and its role as the final guardian of justice in our republic.
“We believe their Lordships will consider not just the letter of the law, but the greater implications for democracy, justice, and public trust. The eyes of Edo people, and indeed all Nigerians, now look up to the Supreme Court with hope”.
However, with the Supreme Court dashing his hope, a distraught Ighodalo, in a statement on Thursday, said what the court delivered did not amount to justice, insisting that what happened on September 21, 2024, was not a contest but “a robbery” which he regretted had now been “tragically validated by the highest court in the land”.
Ighodalo’s statement read: “My dear people of Edo State, today, the Supreme Court has ruled.
“Though I accept the finality of its judgement, I do not and cannot pretend that what was delivered amounts to justice.
“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.
“While I will not and cannot obstruct any judicial pronouncement, no matter how flawed, I must never fear to speak truth to power.
“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.
“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.
“I feel your pain. I share your anger. And I will never forget your courage.
“To every young person who saw in this moment the birth of a new Edo, to every elder who longed to see our state rise again, to every woman and man who prayed, campaigned, and voted, we may not have won the office, but we won something greater.
“We found one another. We discovered our collective strength. Though this painful chapter closes today, our beautiful story does not end. The struggle to reclaim the soul of our beloved state continues.
“Yes, dark days may lie ahead. 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 the daily suffering of her people.
“But we are neither fearful nor broken people. We may be wounded. But all wounds heal.
“So let this be our vow. We will not retreat. We will not be silenced. And we will never forget”.
Calling on the Supreme Court to uphold justice, Ighodalo urged the apex court to consider the broader implications of its decision.
“The Supreme Court now bears a profound responsibility, not only to interpret the law and apply same to available facts, but to defend the democratic principles that give the law its meaning.”
“We approach the apex court with full confidence in its integrity, its independence, and its role as the final guardian of justice in our republic.”
“We believe their Lordships will consider not just the letter of the law, but the greater implications for democracy, justice, and public trust. The eyes of Edo people, and indeed all Nigerians, now look up to the Supreme Court with hope.”
He concluded by calling for calm among his supporters, assuring them that the fight is not over.
“To all our supporters, I urge you once more to remain peaceful, vigilant and steadfast. This is not the end. It is simply the next chapter in our collective struggle for truth, justice, and a bright future for our dear Edo State.”
“We remain resolute. We remain committed. We remain undaunted. And we shall not rest until the voices of our people are heard and their stolen mandate restored.”