Edo: Ighodalo Vows To Reclaim Mandate At Appeal

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, have said they will appeal the judgment given by the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

The tribunal had confirmed that Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the Edo governorship election.

The tribunal gave its judgment on April 2, 2025. It supported the result of the election held on September 21, 2024, which was conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and declared Okpebholo the winner.

On Sunday, after receiving the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the tribunal’s judgment in Abuja, the PDP Chairman in Edo State, Tony Aziegbemi, and Asue Ighodalo’s Special Adviser on Media, Anthony Ehilebo, spoke to the public. They said the judgment was unfair and promised to challenge it at the Court of Appeal.

Aziegbemi strongly rejected the tribunal’s ruling. He said it was “a miscarriage of justice” and claimed that the tribunal ignored clear evidence of electoral fraud.

He said, “The tribunal ignored overwhelming facts, twisted the law, and rewarded impunity. It abandoned its constitutional duty to deliver justice and instead acted as a ‘fourth respondent,’ inventing technicalities to sidestep the clear evidence of electoral malpractice placed before it.”

He added, “Having received and studied the CTC of the judgment, we are more convinced that the tribunal turned the law on its head to protect a rigged process. We are not deterred. We are proceeding to the Court of Appeal with the facts, the law, and the will of the Edo people firmly on our side.”

Anthony Ehilebo also spoke, saying the public does not fully understand how serious the problems with the election were. He blamed INEC for not filling important forms that are necessary to make the election valid. He also mentioned that the Supreme Court had ruled that filling these forms is a must.

According to him, “INEC failed to fill forms essential for guaranteeing the integrity of the elections, a responsibility the Supreme Court has said is a strict liability issue. This is what the tribunal has now endorsed. We are duty-bound to challenge this travesty at the appellate court.”

Despite the tribunal’s decision, a PDP leader, Goodluck Osaretin, said the party still believes Ighodalo is the true winner of the election.

He said, “The mandate of the people remains with Asue Ighodalo,” and added that the party will continue to fight for what it believes is a “stolen mandate.”

Osaretin also replied to Governor Okpebholo’s call for peace and unity, where the governor invited Ighodalo to join hands for the progress of Edo State.

But Osaretin dismissed this offer, saying it was too early to talk about peace when the matter is still in court.

He said, “The issue of an olive branch is premature. We are talking about retrieving a stolen mandate. Asue is coming. No tribunal can stop the will of the people.”

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