After months of heavy politicking in Edo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has pronounced Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the closely contested governorship election on Saturday, September 21, 2024 in the South-South state.
Okpebholo, 54, received 291,667 votes, defeating Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 247,274 votes, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), who finished third with 22,763 votes. Fourteen other candidates ran for the seat, but received less support than the three front-runners.
“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.
Kuta, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, in Niger State, declared the winner of the poll after a series of recesses.
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.
