Monday Okpebholo, governor of Edo, says Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21 election, and the opposition party will fail in their bid to overturn his electoral victory at the appeal court.

On Wednesday, the Edo state governorship election petition tribunal affirmed Okpebholo as the elected governor of the state and dismissed Ighodalo’s petition.

Ighodalo, who rejected the tribunal’s ruling, said he respects the judiciary but noted that Edo people’s right to credible elections must not be compromised.

The PDP gubernatorial candidate also said his legal team has been instructed to challenge the judgment at the court of appeal.

However, speaking on Friday during a celebration hosted by his supporters, Okpebholo boasted that he would win at the appeal court and even at the supreme court.

The Edo governor said the opposition party is “wasting money on court cases,” adding that his “mandate cannot be hijacked”.

“The opposition party has been talking and shouting, but Edo people spoke very clear and loud with their votes on September 21, 2024,” Fred Itua, spokesperson to the governor, said in a statement.

“Edo people voted for the right person in Senator Monday Okpebholo. The people will speak again when the time is right.

“We have defeated them at the tribunal, and they said they want to appeal the ruling. If they like, let them appeal and even get to the Supreme Court. We will defeat them.

“They have stolen enough money from Edo State. So, they are wasting the money on court cases. If they like, let them spend the whole money they stole from the people.

“They will never steal Edo people’s mandates given to me and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the September 21st governorship election.”

In 2024, the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Okpebholo of the APC as the winner after he polled 291,667 votes to defeat Ighodalo, his closest challenger, who scored 247,274 votes.

The Labour Party (LP) says the judgment of the supreme court on Friday is an endorsement of Julius Abure’s leadership.

Reacting to the verdict, Obiora Ifoh, the party’s national publicity secretary, said Abure remains the LP chairman.

The apex court had nullified the judgment recognising Abure as national chairman of the party.

The court held that the issue of leadership is an internal affair of a party over which courts lack jurisdiction.

“Supreme Court strikes out Nenadi, Abure suits, says only Political Parties can determine who their leaders are,” Ifoh wrote on the party’s X page.

“It also said that the courts shouldn’t dabble into the affairs of the political parties. Abure is still the National Chairman of the Labour Party.”

The supreme court had allowed the appeal filed by Nenadi Usman, a former senator representing Kaduna south, and one other — and held that there were meritorious.

The apex court also dismissed the cross-appeal filed by the Abure-led faction of the LP, describing it as lacking in merit.