The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the appeal filed by Asue Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Party against Governor Monday Okpebholo.

Justice Garba Lawal, who delivered the judgment, dismissed the appeal for want of merit.

Mr Ighodalo, through his lawyer, Ken Mosia, asked the apex court to remove Mr Okpebholo and pronounce him the winner of the election.

His ground was that he scored the majority of the lawful votes in the election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, represented by Kanu Agabi, had asked the court to dismiss the appeal in its entirety.

Mr Agabi argued that Ighodalo and the PDP had, in their petition, stigmatised it as invalid and unlawful on the grounds of non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.

The electoral body stated that, having declared the election unlawful and illegal, Mr Ighodalo and the PDP cannot turn around and ask the court to declare them the winners of an illegality.

INEC accused Mr Ighodalo and PDP of being inconsistent in their grievances against the election and pleaded that their case be dismissed for want of merit.

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on May 29 upheld the election of Mr Okpebholo as the governor of Edo.

The court dismissed the case of Ighodalo in the September 21, 2024, governorship election.

Delivering judgment, a three-member panel of the appellate court led by Justice Mohammed Danjuma, unanimously held that the appeal by Mr Ighodalo was unmeritorious and dismissed it.

The court held that the appellants failed to demonstrate that the election tribunal erred in its decision and proceeded to affirm the tribunal’s judgment.

However, Mr Ighodalo rejected the judgment and said the verdict of the appellate court would be contested at the Supreme Court.

(NAN)