Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has extended the olive branch to his opponents following the Supreme Court judgment that affirmed his election.
Okpebholo made the call in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, asking everyone in the South-South state to rally behind his government for the development of the area.
“In the true spirit of statesmanship, Governor Okpebholo extends a sincere olive branch to all his opponents and members of the opposition. The elections are over; the real work of governance and healing must begin,” the statement read in part.
The governor urged political leaders across party lines to rise above division and contribute constructively to the task of building a greater Edo State.
Itua said the victory at the apex court “is not merely a legal triumph—it is a solemn reaffirmation of the sacred mandate freely given by the people of Edo State.
“It signals the beginning of a fresh chapter rooted in unity, inclusiveness, and accelerated development.”
The Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed Okpebholo as the duly elected governor of the state, dismissing a petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the September 2024 governorship election, Asue Ighodalo.
A five-man panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba Lawal held that the appellants could not establish their claims of election non-compliance, unlawful votes, and that Okpebholo was not duly elected.
The appeal was dismissed for lacking merit.
The judgment came about 11 months after the Edo governorship election where Okpebholo was declared as the winner.
He got 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, his closest rival, who garnered 247,274 votes.
Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) took a distant third place, with only 22,763 votes in the fiercely contested election.
The PDP candidate challenged that victory, losing at the tribunal and Court of Appeal before Thursday’s verdict by the Supreme Court.
