A former Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, says he has left the legal outcome of the 2024 governorship election in the hands of God to deliver divine justice.
Obaseki stated this while reacting to Supreme Court judgment which affirmed the election of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the governor of Edo State, upholding the decision of the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
In a statement, the former governor said that while he believed that the election was won by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Asue Ighodalo, he and other supporters of the party were bound by the verdict of the apex court.
Obaseki, who was the governor from 2016 to 2024, said “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 in the Edo State Governorship Election, which took place on September 21, 2024.
READ ALSO: Supreme Court Affirms Okpehbolo’s Election As Edo Gov
“It is based on this conviction, and our belief that the results were manipulated that we took steps to seek legal redress, beginning with the Election Petition Tribunal, then the Court of Appeal, and finally, the Supreme Court. But unfortunately, and most surprisingly, all the courts have ruled against us.
“Although we strongly disagree with the decision of the Supreme Court, but as adherents to the rule of law, we are bound by their verdict.”
While stating that the manner in which the election was conducted portends grave danger for Nigeria’s democracy, he, however, encouraged the people to keep hope alive.
“We, however, 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.
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. I encourage our people to keep hope alive as we persist in the struggle to redeem our fatherland,” he added.
Supreme Court Verdict
A five-man panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba Lawal held that the appellants – the PDP and Ighodalo – could not establish their claims of election non-compliance, unlawful votes, and that Okpebholo was not duly elected.
The appeal was dismissed for lacking merit.
The verdict came about 11 months after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Okpebholo as the winner of the Edo governorship election, stating that he got 291,667 votes, beating Ighodalo, his closest rival, who garnered 247,274 votes.
Unsatisfied with the conduct of the exercise, Ighodalo and the PDP took the matter to court, alleging that the election was fraught with irregularities.
They asked the court to nullify the poll over allegations of non-compliance with the tenets of the Electoral Act 2022.
In April 2025, the election tribunal said the petitioners failed to prove the allegations against the respondents.
Okpebholo extended a “sincere olive branch to all his opponents and members of the opposition”.
“The elections are over; the real work of governance and healing must begin,” he said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua.
But Ighodalo faulted the court’s decision, describing it as a betrayal.
Source: Channels TV
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