The PDP candidate in Edo’s September 2024 gubernatorial election, Mr. Asue Ighodalo, has condemned the Supreme Court’s ruling which upheld the election outcome against him, describing the process as nothing short of an orchestrated theft.
Reacting to the judgment on Thursday through a personally signed statement, Ighodalo accepted the court’s authority but made it clear he did not believe justice was served.
“I do not and cannot pretend that what was delivered amounts to justice,” he stated, emphasising his discontent with the apex court’s decision.
He labelled the entire electoral exercise as a “coordinated, deliberate robbery,” now “tragically validated by the highest court in the land.”
Ighodalo said he would not oppose the ruling, but stressed his obligation to speak out.
“While I will not and cannot obstruct any judicial pronouncement, no matter how flawed, I must never fear to speak truth to power.”
He voiced empathy for voters who backed him, stating that their trust in the democratic system had been betrayed.
“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,” he said.
Highlighting the disenfranchisement of voters, he continued:
“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.”
He concluded by expressing gratitude and solidarity with his supporters: “I feel your pain. I share your anger. And I will never forget your courage.”