A congratulatory message has been sent to Edo State executive governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on his affirmation by the Supreme Court, as governor of the state, following an appeal taken to the apex law court by Dr. Asue Ighodalo, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the governorship election held last year, 2024.
The congratulatory message came through a statement from Mr. Goddy Francis Okoyo, a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party, from Ugboha Ward of Esan South East Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
Okoyo, a Chartered Accountant and Behavioural Scientist, who resides in Canada, and is one of the leading light in the diaspora coordination of APC, regarded the Supreme Court’s judgement as a case of “no victor no vanquish”, instead, a total victory for the Edo people, adding that it is also a call for the accumulation of unity and efforts to build the state, for the benefit of the people and to the glory of God.
“Edo State has been on the search for another governor, like Prof Ambrose Alli or Dr. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia of blessed memory, to bring the needed development to our people, once more. This time around, I am optimistic that Senator Okpebholo, a development-oriented leader, has been chosen by God and seconded by the highest court of the land, for the desired purposes”, Asserted Okoyo, a philanthropist, who is more known in the political and social circles, by his GFO acronym.
Okoyo, who served as Director of Diaspora Affairs in the 2024 APC Governorship Campaign Council, as well as in the national bodies, during elections, also called on the state’s APC
and the opposition political parties, to join hands with Governor Okpebholo and the people to build the state, urging further that the time for partisan politicking should be in the past.
It could be said that Dr Ighodalo, the PDP’s flagbearer and some opposition parties, in a titanic litigation, had challenged the victory of Senator Okpebholo, the APC candidate, at the election petition tribunal and the Appeal Court, where Okpebholo’s victory was affirmed by both lower courts, before going to apex court, where is was finally settled.
