INEC Declares Monday Okpebholo Of APC As Winner Of Edo Gov Election
“That Okpebholo Monday of APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday, declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the keenly contested Saturday 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State.
During the declaration, INEC announced that Okpebholo, 54, secured 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 247,274 votes and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) who came a distant third in the race with 22,763 votes.
Fourteen other candidates contested the seat but got less than the three frontline candidates.
“That Okpebholo Monday of APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” INEC’s Returning Officer for the poll, Prof Faruk Kuta, said at exactly 09:27 pm, to delightful cheers from APC supporters at the collation centre in Benin City, the state capital on Sunday.
Kuta, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, in Niger State, declared the winner of the poll after a series of recesses.
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.
See table showing the breakdown of votes by LGAs for the top three candidates:
| LGA | APC | LP | PDP |
| Igueben | 5907 | 494 | 8470 |
| Esan West | 12952 | 342 | 11004 |
| Owan West | 12277 | 201 | 11284 |
| Uhunmwonde | 8776 | 767 | 9339 |
| Ovia North East | 13225 | 1675 | 15311 |
| Esan South East | 8398 | 98 | 14199 |
| Egor | 16760 | 1966 | 14658 |
| Akoko Edo | 34847 | 2239 | 15865 |
| Esan Central | 10990 | 418 | 8618 |
| Esan North East | 10648 | 194 | 12522 |
| Ovia South West | 10150 | 849 | 10260 |
| Orhionmwon | 16059 | 556 | 14614 |
| Owan East | 19380 | 446 | 14189 |
| Etsako East | 20167 | 604 | 9683 |
| Etsako Central | 11906 | 381 | 8455 |
| Etsako West | 32107 | 2116 | 17483 |
| Oredo | 30780 | 5389 | 24938 |
| Ikpoba-Okha | 16338 | 4026 | 26382 |
| 291667 | 22763 | 247274 |
Okpebholo, the Edo Central Senator, leveraged significant influence in his senatorial district, and joined forces with his colleague in the National Assembly from Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, to defeat Ighodalo, the anointed candidate of the outgoing governor, Godwin Obaseki.
Okpebholo’s victory could also be attributed to his alliance with Dennis Idahosa, his running mate who is a federal lawmaker; and Obaseki’s estranged deputy, Philip Shaibu.
The declaration on Sunday evening brings Okpebholo closer to achieving his goal of becoming governor of the state and places his party, the APC, on the cusp of a return to power at the Dennis Osadebe Government House. Continue Reading
