APC’s Monday Okpebholo wins Edo governorship election

Monday Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been declared the winner of the Edo state governorship election.

Farouk Adamu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer, announced the results in Benin City, the Edo state capital, on Sunday.

“I, Prof. Faruq Adamu Kuta, I certify that I’m the returning officer for the Edo state governorship election held on September 21, 2024,” he said.

“That Monday Okpebholo of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the election and returned elected.”

Okpebholo, a senator, won the election with 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled. 247,274 votes.

Olumide Akpata, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), came distant third with 22, 763 votes.

The APC won the election in 11 out of the 18 LGAs in Edo while the PDP secured victories in the remaining seven LGAs.

The off-cycle election in the south-south state was contested by 17 candidates.

Prior to the final declaration, some PDP supporters staged a protest against the collation of the election results in Benin.

The demonstration took place near the INEC headquarters where the results were collated.

During the collation of the results, Tony Iyoha, a PDP agent at the collation centre, alleged electoral fraud, claiming that some results were “manufactured” in favour of the APC.