‘Don’t gloat over your victory’ — Tinubu congratulates Okpebholo as Edo governor-elect

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Monday Okpebholo for winning the just-concluded governorship election in Edo state. 

Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), 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 a distant third with 22, 763 votes.

In a statement on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on media and strategy, Tinubu asked Okpebholo not to gloat over his victory. 

The president said Okpebholo’s victory is a testament of the people’s support for the APC.

Tinubu commended the APC leaders for working hard to achieve victory in Edo state, while urging aggrieved parties to seek redress in court.

“President Bola Tinubu congratulates Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Saturday’s Edo State governorship election, on his victory at the polls,” the statement reads.

“He urges Senator Okpebholo not to gloat over his victory but to see it as a challenging call to service. He encourages him to demonstrate magnanimity by reaching out to his political rivals and uniting the people of Edo State to ensure its development.

“I commend the INEC and our security agencies for working round the clock to conduct a successful, peaceful and largely hitch-free exercise.”

Meanwhile, former President Muhammadu Buhari, in a statement by Garba Shehu, his spokesperson, has also congratulated Okpebholo for his victory in the election.

Buhari, who described the outcome as “historic electoral victory”, urged the winners and the losers to work together to promote democracy in the state.

The former president also commended the law enforcement agencies for their efforts in ensuring a peaceful election.

“Congratulations to the APC and the election winner, Senator Monday Okpebholo on the historic electoral victory and my warmest wishes for a new lease of life for Edo State and its people,” Buhari said.