Former Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has expressed strong disappointment with the Supreme Court’s verdict affirming Senator Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected governor of the state, warning that the decision could undermine democratic processes in the country.
Reacting to the ruling on Thursday through a statement posted on his official X handle, Obaseki insisted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, were the rightful winners of the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
“I am profoundly grateful to the good people of Edo State and Nigerians for their overwhelming support for the victory, which we believe our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), its candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie, won,” Obaseki said.
The former governor explained that the PDP pursued the case from the Election Petition Tribunal through to the Supreme Court because of its conviction that the results of the election were not credible.
“Unfortunately, and most surprisingly, all the courts have ruled against us,” he stated. “Although we strongly disagree with the decision of the Supreme Court, as adherents to the rule of law, we are bound by their verdict.”
Obaseki, however, issued a cautionary note about the implications of the judgment, describing the process as a dangerous precedent for electoral integrity.
“We want to caution that the iconic manner in which the Edo election was manipulated, coupled with the judicial validation it has received, portends grave danger for Nigeria’s democracy,” he warned.
In his concluding remarks, Obaseki urged supporters to remain hopeful despite the outcome.
“As people of faith, we leave our matter in God’s hands, trusting that only He knows the appropriate time and manner to deliver divine justice and redemption to our people,” he said. “I encourage our people to keep hope alive as we persist in the struggle to redeem our fatherland.”
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by the PDP and Ighodalo, upholding the victory of Senator Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The five-member panel led by Justice Lawal Garba held that the petitioners failed to substantiate claims of electoral malpractice.
The court found that Ighodalo only challenged results in 395 of the state’s 4,519 polling units and called just 19 witnesses whose testimonies did not sufficiently support the allegations of irregularities.
Justice Garba ruled that there was no basis to overturn the previous judgments of the Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, both of which upheld Okpebholo’s election.
