Mr Asue Ighodalo, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the September 2024 election in Edo State, has expressed what he described as “a deep sense of betrayal” in the judgement delivered by the Supreme Court on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
Ighodalo, who expressed his feelings while reacting to the verdict of the Supreme Court, said that what the apex court delivered was far from justice.
In a statement he personally signed, Ighodalo said even though he accepted the finality of the judgment, he does not and cannot pretend over the miscarriage of justice.
He said; “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 cannot obstruct any judicial pronouncement, no matter how flawed, I must never fear to speak truth to power,” he said.
He therefore said like most concerned Nigerians, he feel a deep sense of betrayal not just by those who rigged the process, but by the very institutions that the people trusted to protect our democracy.
Ighodalo also said; “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 office, 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,” he noted.
Ighodalo, assured that he would not relent in his effort at ensuring a better Edo, stressing that the struggle to reclaim the soul of the 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,” Ighodalo said.
He thereafter advised Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to govern the state aright.
He said; “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 stressed.
