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The Independent National Electoral Commission has confirmed Monday Okpebholo, representing the APC, as the winner of Edo State‘s hard-fought governorship election, which drew to a close on September 21, 2024.
The election’s outcome followed months of intense political rivalry, with Okpebholo’s campaign promising transformative leadership and development for the South-South state.
With 291,667 votes, 54-year-old Okpebholo defeated Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who managed 247,274 votes, while Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) finished far behind in third place with 22,763 votes. Additionally, fourteen other candidates contested the election but fell short of the totals achieved by the top three.
“That Okpebholo Monday of APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” INEC’s Returning Officer for the poll, Prof Faruk Kuta, said at exactly 09:27 pm, to delightful cheers from APC supporters at the collation centre in Benin City, the state capital on Sunday.
After a succession of recesses, Kuta, who holds the position of Vice-Chancellor at the Federal University of Technology in Minna, Niger State, was proclaimed the winner of the poll.
Read also: Edo Polls: APC Clinches Victory In 11 Out Of 18 LGAs – INEC
The APC candidate swept more than 10 of the 18 local government areas, leaving the PDP candidate with only a slight win in the remaining councils, and the APC managed to gain control in two of the three battleground senatorial districts in the state.
Senator Okpebholo of Edo Central capitalized on his strong influence in his district, partnering with Adams Oshiomhole from Edo North in the National Assembly to triumph over Ighodalo, who was the preferred candidate of outgoing governor Godwin Obaseki.
The victory of Okpebholo is partly due to his collaboration with Dennis Idahosa, his running mate who serves as a federal lawmaker, along with the support of Philip Shaibu, the former deputy governor estranged from Obaseki.
