Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State, Asue Ighodalo, has described the Supreme Court verdict affirming Senator Monday Okpebholo as governor as a betrayal of the will of the Edo people.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday following the apex court’s ruling, Ighodalo said the judgment not only failed to deliver justice but also confirmed a “coordinated and deliberate robbery” of the people’s mandate.
“Though I accept the finality of its judgment, 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,” he said.
While expressing disappointment over the outcome, Ighodalo maintained that he would not obstruct the decision of the court “no matter how flawed,” but vowed to keep speaking truth to power.
He added, “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.”
Despite the loss, the PDP candidate encouraged his supporters to remain hopeful, stressing that their collective struggle had awakened a new sense of unity. “We may not have won the office, but we won something greater. We found one another. We discovered our collective strength,” he said.
He warned that the “weight of this illegitimacy” would eventually manifest in poor governance and failed policies. However, he urged those now in power to govern with humility and conscience.
“To those who now hold power undeserved, lead with humility. Govern with conscience. History sees what the courts may not. And one day, it will deliver its own verdict,” Ighodalo concluded.
