The All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has emerged victorious in the recently concluded Edo State governorship election.
Okpebholo triumphed over his main challengers, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Faruk Kuta, announced Okpebholo as the winner at the collation centre in Benin City, the state capital, on Sunday.
The APC candidate secured 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes. Akpata of the LP finished a distant third with 22,763 votes.
Prof. Kuta, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, declared, “That Okpebholo, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”
Edo State, comprising 18 Local Government Areas, is divided into Edo North, Edo South, and Edo Central. Traditionally, Edo North has been an APC stronghold, while the PDP has maintained dominance in Edo Central and Edo South.
Below are the election results:
Igueben LG
Registered voters – 54,549
Accredited voters – 15,274
APC – 5,907
PDP – 8,470
LP – 494
Total valid votes – 14,989
Rejected votes – 278
Total votes cast – 15,267
Esan West LG
Registered voters – 113,067
Accredited voters – 25,702
APC – 12,952
PDP – 11,004
LP – 342
Total valid votes – 24,691
Rejected votes -693
Total votes cast – 25,384
Uhunmwonde LG
Registered voters – 92,169
Accredited voters – 20,044
APC – 8,776
PDP – 9,339
LP – 769
Total valid votes – 19,223
Rejected votes – 553
Total votes cast -19,776
Owan West LG
Registered voters – 67,076
Accredited voters – 24,311
APC – 12,277
PDP – 11,284
LP – 201
Total valid votes -23,904
Rejected votes – 391
Total votes cast – 24,295
Ovia North-East LG
Registered voters – 177,106
Accredited voters – 32,441
APC – 13,225
PDP – 15,311
LP – 1,675
Total valid votes – 30,783
Rejected votes – 1,312
Total votes cast – 32,095
Esan South-East LG
Registered voters – 90,240
Accredited voters – 23,390
APC – 8,398
PDP – 14,199
LP – 98
Total valid votes – 22,780
Rejected votes – 356
Total votes cast – 23,136
Egor LG
Registered voters – 242,266
Accredited voters – 35,463
APC – 16,760
PDP – 14,658
LP – 1,966