Ighodalo Heads To Supreme Court As Appeal Court Confirms Okpebholo As Edo Governor

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld Monday Okpebholo’s election as Governor of Edo State, dismissing the challenge filed by candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Asue Ighodalo.

In a ruling delivered on Thursday, May 29, a three-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma said Ighodalo’s appeal lacked merit.

The court agreed with the earlier decision of the election tribunal and found no evidence that the tribunal made any legal errors in its ruling.

Following the decision, Ighodalo expressed disappointment and vowed to take the matter to the Supreme Court.

During the September 21, 2024 governorship election, Okpebholo of the the All Progressives Congress (APC) won with 291,667 votes.

He defeated Ighodalo who polled 247,274, while Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata came third with 22,763 votes. Fourteen other candidates participated but failed to make significant impact.

Okpebholo secured a clear majority, winning in over 10 of the 18 local government areas and dominating two of the state’s three senatorial districts.

He was declared the winner by INEC and was sworn in on November 12, 2024, taking over from outgoing PDP governor, Godwin Obaseki.

Unhappy with the result, Ighodalo initially went to the election tribunal seeking Okpebholo’s disqualification.

However, in April 2025, the tribunal—led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi—dismissed the petition, stating that Ighodalo and other petitioners failed to present strong evidence, such as testimony from polling unit officers or voters, to support claims of election irregularities.

After losing again at the Appeal Court, Ighodalo now plans to take the case to the Supreme Court, which is the final legal step in the dispute.

KanyiDaily recalls that PDP had disputed the election results, claiming the mandate was taken unfairly and promising to challenge Okpebholo’s win in court.