The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, has won the Edo State governorship election held on Saturday. Thus, he was declared governor-elect by the UIndependent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
“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 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 him 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.
Okpebholo scored a total of 291,667 votes. His closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), got 247,655 votes.
Olumide Akpata, representing the Labour Party (LP), came third, with 22,763 votes.
Okpebholo is, therefore expected to be declared the official winner by INEC.