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.
He polled 291,667 votes to beat his closest marker, Dr Asue Ighodalo, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who scored 247,655 votes. Okpebholo was better with 44,012 votes and emerged victorious in Edo’s keenest governorship poll ever.
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.
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.”
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.