Supreme Court judgement: I feel a deep sense of betrayal – Asue Ighodalo

By Jethro Ibileke

Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2024 governorship election in Edo State,  Asue Ighodalo, has reacted to the Supreme Court judgement which affirmed the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo, as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Ighodalo in a statement he personally signed shortly after the apex court delivered the judgement, expressed disappointment and betrayal by the judiciary.

Ighodalo while accepting the judgment as the final bus stop, however said he cannot pretend that it amounted to justice.

He said: “My dear people of Edo State, Today, the Supreme Court has ruled. Though I accept the finality of its judgment, I do not and cannot pretend that what was delivered amounts to justice.

“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. While I will not and can not obstruct any judicial pronouncement, no matter how flawed, I must never fear to speak truth to power.

“Like you, I feel a deep sense of betrayal. Not just by those who rigged the process, but by the very institutions we trusted to protect our democracy. You came out in hope. You voted for competence, for progress, for prosperity. And now, we are told that your voice does not matter. That your freely given mandate can be trampled without consequence.

“I feel your pain. I share your anger. And I will never forget your courage.

“To every young person who saw in this moment the birth of a new Edo. To every elder who longed to see our state rise again. To every woman and man who prayed, campaigned, and voted. We may not have won the ofhce, but we won something greater. We found one another. We discovered our collective strength.

“Though this painful chapter closes today, our beautiful story does not end. The struggle to reclaim the soul of our beloved state continues.

“Yes, dark days may lie ahead. The weight of this illegitimacy will, unfortunately, echo beyond the halls of the Supreme Court. I fear Edo will feel it in the absence of leadership, in the poverty of policy, and in the daily suffering of her people.

“But we are neither a fearful nor a broken people. We may be wounded. But all wounds heal.

“So let this be our vow. We will not retreat. We will not be silenced. And we will never forget.”

Even in his disappointment, the PDP candidate has a word of advice for his opponent, Governor Monday Okpebholo. He advised him to lead with humility and conscience.

“To those who now hold power undeserved, lead with humility. Govern with conscience. History sees what the courts may not. And one day, it will deliver its own verdict,” he counseled.