The Supreme Court of Nigeria has upheld Senator Monday Okpebholo’s position as the Governor of Edo State, dismissing the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
In a unanimous decision, the court ruled that Ighodalo failed to provide sufficient evidence to support claims of over-voting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act. The court noted that Ighodalo only challenged the election results in 395 out of 4,519 polling units, which was insufficient to overturn Okpebholo’s victory.
The judgment highlighted that the evidence presented by Ighodalo and his witnesses did not substantiate allegations of election irregularities. The lower courts had previously dismissed similar claims, affirming Okpebholo’s status as the candidate with the highest number of valid votes.
The tribunal and subsequent appeals were unable to find credible evidence linking the alleged irregularities to the election outcome, ultimately leading to the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss Ighodalo’s appeal.
