President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, on his Supreme Court victory, urging him to use it to fast-track development in the state.

‎‎This is contained in a statement by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday in Abuja.

‎Mr ‎Tinubu welcomed the court’s verdict as a boost for governance, urging the governor to be magnanimous in victory and unite all Edo citizens behind a shared vision for progress.

‎He said, “Now that the governor has cleared the legal hurdles, it is time for him to accelerate the delivery of exceptional services and good governance to the people of Edo State, which he has already begun to do.’’

‎He also congratulated the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, calling for unity and commitment to the people’s mandate.

‎‎In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, the apex court dismissed as lacking in merit, an appeal filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Asuerinme Ighodalo, to nullify outcome of the governorship poll held in the state on September 21, 2024.

According to the Supreme Court, it found no reason to set aside the concurrent judgments of both the Court of Appeal and the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which returned Mr Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, as the valid winner of the gubernatorial contest.

It noted that the appellant failed to adduce credible and admissible evidence to substantiate his claim that the election was marred by irregularities which included over-voting and substantial non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act.

It held that the appellant failed to call relevant witnesses to demonstrate some of the evidence he tendered in support of his case, especially the bimodal voter accreditation system machines.

(NAN)