By Ayomide Otitoju
After months of intense political manoeuvring, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Edo State governorship election held on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
Okpebholo, 54, secured 291,667 votes, defeating Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who garnered 247,274 votes, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), who placed third with 22,361 votes. Fourteen other candidates participated but received fewer votes than the three frontrunners.
INEC’s Returning Officer, Prof. Faruk Kuta, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, made the announcement at 9:27 pm on Sunday, to the cheers of APC supporters at the collation centre in Benin City. “Monday Okpebholo of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” Kuta declared.
The APC candidate dominated over 10 of the 18 local government areas, while the PDP candidate secured marginal wins in the remaining councils. The APC also took two of the three senatorial districts, thanks to Okpebholo’s stronghold in Edo Central and the influence of Adams Oshiomhole in Edo North.
Okpebholo’s alliance with his running mate, federal lawmaker Dennis Idahosa, and estranged PDP deputy governor Philip Shaibu, further solidified his victory. His win marks the APC’s return to power after losing control in 2020, following Governor Godwin Obaseki’s defection to the PDP.
Despite Okpebholo’s victory, the results sparked protests from PDP supporters, who alleged that the figures were fabricated. Protests erupted in parts of Benin City, including outside the INEC collation centre, where security was tight. PDP officials, including their agent Tony Iyoha and state chairman Anthony Aziegbemi, claimed discrepancies between the results and the INEC IReV platform, calling for the suspension of the election.
Governor Obaseki, who had campaigned heavily for Ighodalo, also protested the exclusion of PDP agents from the collation centre but was escorted out by security agents. Meanwhile, the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, called for the election results to reflect the true will of the people, alleging widespread irregularities.
Edo is one of eight states where governorship elections are held off-season due to litigation and court rulings, with over 2.2 million eligible voters deciding the state’s leadership.
