THE Independent National Electoral Commission has announced the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, as the winner of the Edo governorship election held on Saturday.
The state Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Faruk Adamu Kuta, who is also a VC Federal at University of Technology, Minna. Niger State, announced the results on Sunday evening at INEC’s state collation centre in Benin, the state capital.
He declared Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election with 291,667, votes while Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party came a distant second with a total of 247, 274 votes.
Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party polled 22,761 votes to come third in the election.
The APC candidate cleared over 10 of the 18 local government areas, leaving the PDP candidate with marginal victory in the other local councils. The APC gained control in two of the three battleground senatorial districts in the state.
Okpebholo, the Edo Central Senator, leveraged significant influence in his senatorial district, and joined forces with his colleague in the National Assembly from Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, to defeat Ighodalo, the anointed candidate of the outgoing governor.
Okpebholo’s victory could also be attributed to his alliance with Dennis Idahosa, his running mate who is a federal lawmaker; and Obaseki’s estranged deputy, Philip Shaibu.
The declaration on Sunday evening brings Okpebholo closer to achieving his goal of becoming governor of the state and places his party, the APC, on the cusp of a return to power at the Dennis Osadebe Government House.
The APC lost power in the state in 2020 after the incumbent, Godwin Obaseki, defected from the party to the PDP in the heat of an intra-party squabble and fallout with his predecessor, Oshiomhole. After he was denied the APC governorship ticket, Obaseki joined the PDP and clinched the ticket to defeat APC’s Osagie Ize-Iyamu to seal his second term which will end on November 12, 2024.
Obaseki campaigned strongly for Ighodalo, while Oshiomhole was a focal figure for Okpebholo’s campaign, attending rallies and interviews on behalf of the APC candidate.
According to INEC, there are 2,629,025 total number of registered voters and 4,519 polling units in Edo State. Out of this figure, 2,249,780 (85.57%) have Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).
