Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State, Dr Asue Ighodalo, has rejected the Court of Appeal judgment which on Thursday upheld the decision of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which validated the declaration of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the election by the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC).
Reacting to the judgment, Ighodalo in a statement he personally signed, declared that “we have received this decision with deep disappointment, but also with unwavering resolve to continue our pursuit of justice”.
Ighodalo maintained that the judgment, like that of the Tribunal before it, “failed to address the grave concerns we raised regarding widespread acts of non-compliance with, and clear violations of the Electoral Act. “These decisions appear, worryingly, to validate a dangerous pattern of electoral impunity that strikes at the very heart of our democracy and continues to erode public confidence in our electoral process.”
He insisted that the struggle was not about personal ambition but “about standing with the people of Edo State and defending their sacred right to freely choose their leaders through a credible, transparent and fair election.”
He added that “As democrats and patriots, we remain anchored in our belief in the rule of law. But we cannot, and will not, allow injustice to go unchallenged. I have therefore instructed my legal team to approach the Supreme Court of Nigeria to seek redress.”
Ighodalo affirmed that “We remain resolute. We remain committed. We remain undaunted. And we shall not rest until the voices of our people are heard and their stolen mandate restored.”
