Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Edo State governorship election held on September 21, has broken his silence following his defeat to Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
News About Nigeria reported that Okpebholo secured victory with 291,667 votes, surpassing Ighodalo’s 247,274 votes, while Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata came in third with 22,763 votes.
In a statement released on Monday, Ighodalo expressed his gratitude, “First, in all things, we must give thanks to God. We give thanks to God for the gift of life, for health, and for the love you all have shown me.”
Ighodalo went on to thank the people of Edo State, praising their courage and commitment during the election.
“I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who has stood by us on this incredible journey. I would like to particularly thank the good people of Edo State who defied the rain, intimidation, threats of violence, harassment, arrests, and financial inducements to cast their votes for us overwhelmingly last Saturday,” he stated, calling them the “true heroes of our democracy.”
Ighodalo noted that his run for office wasn’t driven by a desire for power but a genuine wish to serve the people of Edo State.
“My aspiration was not borne out of a love for power but from a genuine desire to serve the people and create a Pathway to Prosperity for All in Edo State,” he said.
Ighodalo also addressed his supporters, thanking them for their dedication. “To all our beloved supporters, thank you for believing in this vision, for your countless hours of dedication, and for every conversation you had with people about this cause. Together, we ran a great campaign,” he noted.
However, the PDP candidate voiced his disappointment with the outcome, describing the election as marred by irregularities. “Your overwhelming support was evident in the ballots before our progress was unjustly halted… by people who do not mean well for you or our state,” Ighodalo lamented.
He called the events of the election day “one of our darkest moments” and claimed that the will of the people was subverted.
Ighodalo urged his supporters not to lose hope, stating that any victory of “evil over good” is only temporary.
