The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the last Edo State election, Asue Ighodalo (SAN), has strongly criticised the Supreme Court for what he described as a miscarriage of justice following its decision to uphold the election of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as governor.
In an emotional address to the people of Edo State after the apex court’s ruling, Ighodalo said while he respects the finality of the court’s judgment, he firmly disagrees with its substance, describing the ruling as a validation of what he termed a “coordinated and deliberate robbery” of the people’s mandate.
“Though I accept the finality of the judgment, I cannot pretend that what was delivered amounts to justice,” Ighodalo said.
“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.
”Expressing disappointment in Nigeria’s democratic institutions, he said, “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.”
He added that the Supreme Court’s decision sends a painful message that “freely given mandates can be trampled without consequence.
”Despite the outcome, Ighodalo praised his supporters and reassured them that the movement for a better Edo State remains alive.
“We may not have won the office, but we won something greater — we found one another, and we discovered our collective strength,” he said.
He called on those in power to govern with humility, warning that “history sees what the courts may not — and one day, it will deliver its verdict.”
