Ighodalo’s Victory in Edo Elections Upheld by Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has confirmed Asue Ighodalo as the legitimate gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State. The decision was handed down by Justice Musari JCA in case number CA/ABJ/CV/764/2024, where the court ruled that the delegates who sought to annul the PDP primaries lacked the legal authority to do so.

Justice Musari clarified that under section 84(14) of the Electoral Act, delegates do not have the right to challenge the outcome of a primary election. Only candidates who participated in the primary alongside Ighodalo have the legal standing to contest the results. The court emphasized that delegates are not candidates and, therefore, cannot dispute the conduct of the primaries.

As a result of this ruling, Asue Ighodalo remains the PDP candidate for the Edo State gubernatorial election scheduled for September 21. While neither the Edo State chapter of the PDP nor Ighodalo himself have commented on the ruling yet, Anthony Ehirebo, a member of Ighodalo’s campaign team, celebrated the court’s decision.

As the election day approaches, the three main candidates—Mr. Monday Okpeboro of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, and Mr. Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party—are ramping up their efforts to win over voters.