Politics
UPDATE: Reactions Trail Supreme Court Judgement, over Okpebholo’s confirmation
Asue Ighodalo, the honorable candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election, has kicked against the Supreme Court’s judgment confirming Governor Monday Okpebholo as the rightful winner, describing the ruling as a painful blow to justice and democracy.
In a statement released on Thursday, moments after the apex court dismissed his appeal, Ighodalo acknowledged the finality of the decision.
Ighodalo said: “Though I accept the finality of its judgment, I do not and cannot pretend that what was delivered amounts to justice,” he said.
Below is a copy of Ighodalo’s statement of the Supreme Court’s judgment:
“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.”
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous verdict delivered by Justice Mohammed Garba, upheld the earlier decisions of the Court of Appeal and the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had dismissed Ighodalo’s petition and affirmed Okpebholo’s victory.
The court held that the PDP and its candidate failed to present credible evidence of alleged electoral irregularities, including over-voting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
It faulted the PDP for relying on documentary evidence that was “dumped” on the court without proper demonstration, and for failing to call essential witnesses to validate their claims, particularly regarding data from the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Despite the legal defeat, Ighodalo praised the spirit of his supporters, especially the youth and elders who he said had placed hope in his candidacy.
“To every young person who saw in this moment the birth of a new Edo… to every woman and man who prayed, campaigned, and voted — we may not have won the office, but we won something greater.
We found one another. We discovered our collective strength,” he wrote.
Ighodalo warned that the consequences of what he described as a “flawed” judgment would be felt in the governance of the state.
“I fear Edo will feel it in the absence of leadership, in the poverty of policy, and in the daily suffering of her people,” he said, urging those currently in power to “lead with humility” and “govern with conscience,” while stressing that “history sees what the courts may not.”
“Though this painful chapter closes today, our beautiful story does not end. The struggle to reclaim the soul of our beloved state continues… We will not retreat. We will not be silenced.
And we will never forget.”
Recall that Governor Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner of the September 21, 2024, governorship poll with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo of the PDP who polled 247,655 votes.
“Okonkwo announced the appointment in a statement posted on his official X handle on Thursday, expressing appreciation to Atiku for the confidence reposed in him.”
African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has appointed actor-turned-politician and ADC chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo as his spokesperson.
Okonkwo announced the appointment in a statement posted on his official X handle on Thursday, expressing appreciation to Atiku for the confidence reposed in him.
“I give God all the glory for being appointed by His Excellency Atiku Abubakar as his spokesperson. I thank His Excellency for the immense confidence reposed in me,” he said.
He described the appointment as a reflection of Atiku’s leadership style, noting that the former vice president values dialogue and inclusiveness over resentment.
“Rather than take offence at associates for expressing genuine reservations about any action taken, His Excellency always opts for dialogue and compromise that engender solutions to problems,” Okonkwo stated
Politics
ADC, NDC upload presidential tickets to INEC portal for 2027 polls
In a post on his X handle, Abdullahi described the submission as another milestone in the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have successfully uploaded the names and particulars of their presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi., Peter Obi/ Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The two parties confirmed the development respectively on the X and Facebook.
ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, announced on Wednesday that the party had successfully uploaded the names and particulars of its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi.
In a post on his X handle, Abdullahi described the submission as another milestone in the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections.
Similarly, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, disclosed that he had completed his INEC nomination form, using the occasion to call for greater transparency in the electoral process and a renewed focus on governance.
In a post on his Facebook page, Obi said one of the questions on the nomination form, asking whether an aspirant had ever been labelled a lunatic or declared to be of unsound mind, prompted him to reflect on the state of leadership in Nigeria.
Politics
2027: Obi asks INEC to publish candidates’ certificates
Obi made the call while reflecting on questions contained in the INEC nomination form, particularly those relating to mental fitness and certificate authenticity.
Peter Gregory Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make public the academic certificates and credentials submitted by candidates seeking elective office.
Obi made the call while reflecting on questions contained in the INEC nomination form, particularly those relating to mental fitness and certificate authenticity.
He said that for openness in the electoral system, INEC should publish the certificates and credentials submitted by all aspirants.
According to Obi, making such documents publicly available would help ensure that those seeking public office are held to higher standards of accountability and integrity.
He said, “Have you ever presented a forged certificate to INEC?” Again, the answer is either Yes or No. This raises another important question: Why shouldn’t INEC, in the interest of ensuring that our leaders are exemplary in following the rules and to strengthen public confidence in our electoral process, publish the academic certificates and credentials submitted by every candidate seeking elective office?”
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