The Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the September 2024 Edo State governorship election, Asue Ighodalo, has faulted the Supreme Court judgment affirming Senator Monday Okpebholo as the governor of the state, saying the ruling does not amount to justice.
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The apex court had dismissed Ighodalo’s appeal on Thursday, affirming Okpebholo’s victory in the election.
Reacting in a statement, Ighodalo described the election that brought Okpebholo to office as a “robbery” and said he accepted the court’s finality but disagreed with its outcome.
The statement read, “Today, the Supreme Court has ruled. Though I accept the finality of its judgment, I do not and cannot pretend that what was delivered amounts to justice.
“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.
“While I will not and cannot obstruct any judicial pronouncement, no matter how flawed, I must never fear to speak truth to power.
“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.
“You came out in hope. You voted for competence, for progress, for prosperity. And now, we are told that your voice does not matter. That your freely given mandate can be trampled without consequence.
“I feel your pain. I share your anger. And I will never forget your courage.”
Ighodalo, who came second in the poll, praised the efforts of his supporters and promised that the struggle for a better Edo would continue.
He added, “Though this painful chapter closes today, our beautiful story does not end. The struggle to reclaim the soul of our beloved state continues.
“Yes, dark days may lie ahead. The weight of this illegitimacy will, unfortunately, echo beyond the halls of the Supreme Court. I fear Edo will feel it in the absence of leadership, in the poverty of policy, and in the daily suffering of her people.
“But we are neither fearful nor broken people. We may be wounded. But all wounds heal. So let this be our vow. We will not retreat. We will not be silenced. And we will never forget.
“To those who now hold power undeserved, lead with humility. Govern with conscience. History sees what the courts may not. And one day, it will deliver its own verdict.”
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