VANGUARD
LAGOS — AT exactly 9.28 pm, yesterday, Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was declared the winner of the Edo State 2024 governorship election, sparking celebration in the state.
Labour Party, LP, Standard bearer, Olumide Akpata, came a distant third with 22,763 votes.
An elated Okpebholo told Edo people that they had elected the best person for the job and should expect the best from him.
His victory came amid complaints from Governor Obaseki, the PDP Campaign Council, PDP governors, and civil society organisations, who picked holes in the hitches that trailed the collation process midway and urged the INEC to address the situation.
A new Edo is rising— Okpebholo
Speaking shortly after being declared winner of the election, Senator Okpebholo promised to develop Edo State, adding that Edo was rising.
He said: “Edo people have elected the right person for the job. A new Edo is rising. I am here to develop Edo State, I want to transform Edo the way it should be. I want to tell you that I will start from where Adams Oshiomhole stopped. Edo will receive a new transformation and by the grace of God, Edo will stand firm.”
How Okpebholo floored Ighodalo
To emerge victorious, Okpebholo won 11 of the 18 local councils of the state but one of the three senatorial districts. He was dominant in Edo North where Senator Adams Oshiomhole hails from but lost his Edo Central and Edo South narrowly to Ighodalo, who is also from Edo Central.
In Edo North, the APC candidate polled 130,684 votes compared to PDP’s 76,959 votes and LP’s 5,987.
In Edo Central it was APC (48,895); PDP (54,813) and LP (1,546). And in Edo South, it was Okpebholo (112,088 votes); Ighodalo (115,502) and Akpata (15,230).
The 11 LGAs that Okpebholo won including Governor Godwin Obaseki’s Orhionmwon are Etsako West, Etsako East, Akofo Edo, Owan East, Owan West, Etsako Central, Esan West, Esan North-East, Esan central, Egor, and Oredo.
Ighodalo prevailed in seven LGAs, namely Esan North-East, Esan South-East, Igueben, Ovia North-East, Ovia South-West, Uhunwonde and Ikpoba-Okha.
Processes, rule of law disregarded —Obaseki
In his reaction, Governor Obaseki urged Edo residents to remain calm over the outcome of the poll as announced by the electoral commission.
Obaseki said the election was marred with disregard to processes and rule of law, but urged aggrieved persons to explore the legal options to express their grievances.
The statement reads: “In the last few months, the various political parties have embarked on very rigorous campaigns to sell their respective candidates for the office of governor to the people of Edo State in an exercise which came to a climax yesterday with the gubernatorial election.
“The attractive thing about democracy is the power it bestows on the people to choose who governs them. Therefore, when this power is blatantly seized from the people, it is not just a tragedy, but a travesty of democracy.
“Regrettably, the outcome of the September 21st governorship election appears to have daunted the spirit of many Edo people who feel powerless in the face of the brute force of the institutions that are supposed to protect them. “It is therefore understandable that many people feel sad and aggrieved.
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