BENIN-CITY/Nigeria: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, as the winner of the Edo State governorship election held on Saturday.
Announcing the results on Sunday in Benin, INEC’s Returning Officer, Prof. Faruk Kuta, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, revealed that Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes, defeating his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 247,274 votes. The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Mr. Olumide Akpata, trailed behind with 22,763 votes.
“With Monday Okpebholo of the APC having satisfied the requirements of the law, he is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” Kuta stated.
A breakdown of the results showed that the APC won in 11 out of the 18 local government areas, while the PDP secured victory in seven.
The governor-elect is currently serving as a senator representing Edo Central in the National Assembly.
However, the announcement was met with objections from the PDP, whose agent at the collation centre, Mr. Osaigbovo Iyhoa, called for the suspension of the declaration, citing irregularities in several local government areas. He added that the party had submitted a petition to INEC, urging the returning officer to halt the process pending a review of the issues raised.
