Posted by Samuel on Fri 11th Jul, 2025 - tori.ng
Addressing supporters and journalists shortly after the apex court’s verdict, the senator representing Edo North district did not mince words as he accused Obaseki of evading accountability for his time in office.
Former Edo State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Adams Oshiomhole, has urged Governor Monday Okpebholo to initiate a thorough investigation into the administration of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, over allegations of financial mismanagement and dubious projects.
Oshiomhole’s comments came in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decisive ruling that upheld Okpebholo’s victory in the 2024 Edo State governorship election, effectively ending months of legal battles brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
Addressing supporters and journalists shortly after the apex court’s verdict, the senator representing Edo North district did not mince words as he accused Obaseki of evading accountability for his time in office.
“You now have the time to look into that hotel about which they say Edo money, in tens of billions of naira, was spent, and now they claim it’s just a minority shareholding,” Oshiomhole said, referencing alleged murky investments linked to the Obaseki administration.
“You have time to revisit all those roads that were built at the worst costs compared to the ones I built and that are still there. Governor Obaseki must come out of hiding to answer these questions.”
Oshiomhole further urged Governor Okpebholo not only to pursue physical development projects but also to prioritise political unity in the state, describing the state as a minority player on Nigeria’s national political stage.
“As a state that is a minority when it comes to politics, the unity of our people is essential,” he added.
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision on Thursday, dismissed the appeal filed by PDP’s Ighodalo, who had sought to overturn Okpebholo’s election on the grounds of alleged over-voting and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Lawal Garba held that the appellants failed to provide credible evidence of widespread irregularities that could invalidate the election results.
The apex court’s verdict aligns with earlier decisions by both the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, which each dismissed Ighodalo’s petitions as lacking merit.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Okpebholo the winner of the governorship poll with 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who had 247,655 votes.