Abuja, Nigeria – The Supreme Court of Nigeria has upheld the election of Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the governor of Edo State, dismissing an appeal challenging his victory.
A five-member panel, led by Justice Mohammed Garba Lawal, unanimously ruled that the appellants failed to prove their claims of electoral non-compliance, unlawful vote allocation, and assertions that Okpebholo was not duly elected. The court deemed the appeal meritless, thereby affirming the earlier decision of the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
However, the ruling comes against a backdrop of growing public scepticism regarding the Supreme Court’s credibility. Many Nigerians have expressed concerns over the court’s integrity, citing questionable decisions in recent years, particularly its handling of the 2023 presidential election disputes involving Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi against President Bola Tinubu. Critics argue that these rulings have eroded trust in the judiciary’s impartiality.
Despite these concerns, the Supreme Court’s decision marks the end of legal challenges to Okpebholo’s election, paving the way for his administration to focus on governance and development in Edo State.
