By Ben Ogbemudia

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate in the September 2024 governorship election in Edo, Asue Ighodalo, has accepted Thursday’s Supreme Court judgment affirming Governor, Okpebholohe, adding that he feels a deep sense of betrayal.

Ighodalo, in his reaction to the apex court verdict on Thursday, said though he accepted the finality of the judgment, “I do not and cannot pretend that what was delivered amounts to justice.”

He spoke in a statement he personally signed and which was made available to journalists in Abuja.

“My dear people of Edo State, today, the Supreme Court has ruled. 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.

According to him, “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 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 said.

Ighodalo, however, said he would not relent in his efforts to ensure a better Edo.

The PDP candidate therefore advised Gov. Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to govern the state aright.