Toba Owojaiye Reporting
In what is being described as both a legal finality and a political heartbreak, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the duly elected Governor of Edo State, dismissing the petition brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
Truth Live News can confirm that while delivering a unanimous judgment, the apex court held that the petitioners failed to discharge the burden of proof required under Section 135 of the Electoral Act. The PDP had challenged the results in just 395 out of the state’s 5,019 polling units, a shortfall the court described as “absurd” for anyone seeking a complete nullification of the electoral outcome or a personal declaration as winner.
“The petitioners did not establish substantial non-compliance,” the Court ruled. “They also failed to present credible, admissible evidence to support their allegations, including the proper linkage of the BVAS machines tendered.”
The court also faulted the PDP for what it called “a fatal procedural misstep” in dumping the BVAS machines on the tribunal without clear explanation or demonstration, thereby weakening their case. Furthermore, their inability to bring forward credible polling unit agents as witnesses left gaping holes in their claims of over-voting and electoral malpractices.
Despite the legal reasoning, the judgment has left a wave of emotional discontent across swathes of Edo State, particularly among supporters of Ighodalo, who feel the courts have delivered law but not justice.
Speaking shortly after the judgment, a visibly disappointed PDP youth leader in Benin City remarked, “They have closed the legal door, but they haven’t closed the wound. We feel robbed, not just of a mandate, but of a moment for real change.”
Political observers note that this ruling may deepen the sense of alienation many young and politically aware voters feel toward Nigeria’s judiciary, which they increasingly view as technically rigid yet detached from democratic fairness.
Though the Supreme Court’s decision brings an end to legal challenges over the 2024 Edo governorship election, it opens new chapters in the state’s political discourse, especially over electoral credibility, judicial access, and citizen confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
“This is judgment day, not justice day,” a civil society activist posted on X (formerly Twitter), echoing sentiments felt by many on the streets of Benin, Auchi, and Ekpoma.
With the legal contest settled, all eyes now turn to Governor Okpebholo, who must begin the hard work of unifying a fractured electorate and delivering on his campaign promises in a climate still thick with political bitterness.
But one thing remains clear: though the gavel has fallen in Abuja, the cry for electoral reform and people-centered justice still echoes loudly across Edo.