The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Monday Okpebholo, winner of the Edo governorship election.
The Returning Officer for the election and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, in Niger State, announced that Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 247,274 and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) who came a distant third in the race with 22,761 votes, in a keenly contested race.
“That Monday Okpebholo of the APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” INEC’s Returning Officer for the poll, Prof Faruk Kuta, said at exactly 09:27pm, to delightful cheers from APC supporters at the collation centre in Benin City, the state capital on Sunday.
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.
More to come…
