The court of appeal sitting in Abuja, the nation’s capital, has upheld the election of Monday Okpebholo as the governor of Edo state.
In a ruling on Thursday, the court dismissed the petition of Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, 2024, governorship election Edo state.
However, the opposition party, in a reaction to the verdict, said it would contest the ruling at the supreme court.
In September 2024, Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), secured 291,667 votes to defeat PDP’s Ighodalo, who got 247,274 votes, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), who came a distant third in the race with 22,763 votes.
Fourteen other candidates contested the seat but got less than the three frontline candidates.
The APC candidate cleared over 10 of the 18 LGAs in the state, leaving the PDP candidate with a marginal victory in the other local councils.
The APC gained control in two of the three battleground senatorial districts in the state.
He was immediately declared returned elected by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and sworn in as governor on November 12, 2024.
Okpebholo secured PDP’s Godwin Obaseki, who completed his two-term of eight years.
