Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has expressed confidence that the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, will fail at the Appellate Court.
The Governor made the statement during an event held at Okaijesan Town Hall in Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area, to celebrate his victory at the election tribunal.
According to a statement by Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Okpebholo addressed Edo Central leaders at the event, thanking the people of Edo State for their support and prayers. He assured them that his administration would continue its development efforts at the same pace.
Okpebholo pointed out that Ighodalo and the PDP had declared their intention to challenge the election petition tribunal’s ruling, which had affirmed his victory in the governorship race. While acknowledging their right to appeal, the Governor expressed confidence that the appeal would not succeed.
“The opposition party has been talking and shouting, but Edo people spoke very clearly and loudly with their votes on September 21, 2024. Edo people voted for the right person in Senator Monday Okpebholo. The people will speak again when the time is right,” he said. “We have defeated them at the Tribunal, and they said they want to appeal the ruling. If they like, let them appeal and even get to the Supreme Court. We will defeat them.”
Okpebholo also criticized the PDP for allegedly misappropriating funds from Edo State, suggesting that they were wasting their stolen money on court cases instead of focusing on meaningful work. He added, “They will never steal Edo people’s mandates given to me and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the September 21st governorship election.”
The Governor outlined plans to improve infrastructure in Esan land, specifically noting that his administration had awarded a contract to dualize the road from Ekpoma to Ubiaja. “As we won this election, the first thing we did was to make sure our roads were motorable across Edo State. If you come to Enewa now, it’s looking like Abuja, as we are putting our efforts into ensuring we have good roads to boost economic activities,” he stated.
He also mentioned that the dualization of the Ekpoma-Ubiaja road would make traffic flow smoother and enhance local commerce. Furthermore, Okpebholo promised that the soft loan initiative for Edo citizens would soon be activated, with disbursements starting within two weeks. “The money is ready. Names are being compiled for the interested people who want the loan,” he added.
In a separate address, Umar Ikhilor, the Secretary to the Edo State Government, praised God for the “double victory” the people of Edo had achieved, both in the September 21st election and the subsequent tribunal ruling. “God gave us double victory on Wednesday at the Tribunal judgment. We are grateful to God Almighty and the people of Edo State for their continuous prayers and support,” he said.
Bawa Umar, the leader of the Arewa community in Esan land, also commended Okpebholo for his leadership, particularly in fostering peace and stability following the Uromi killings. Umar highlighted the Governor’s visit to Kano State to condole with the Governor as a testament to his character as a man of peace.
