By Titilope Adako

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has affirmed the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected Governor of Edo State.

In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, the three-man panel of Justices dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, challenging Okpebholo’s victory in the September 24, 2024 governorship election.

Justice Mohammed Danjuma, who delivered the lead judgment, held that the appeal lacked merit and failed to establish any miscarriage of justice in the decision of the Edo State Election Petition Tribunal, which had earlier thrown out the petition.

He ruled that Governor Okpebholo was properly declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and that the appellants did not provide sufficient evidence to support their claims of irregularities during the election.

The court noted that the findings of the tribunal were sound and consistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act and constitutional requirements for the conduct of governorship elections.

With this judgment, the appellate court has effectively sealed the legal battle over the 2024 Edo State governorship poll in favour of Okpebholo, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).