Edo guber: APC’s Okpebholo ahead after results from 16 of 18 LGAs

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken the lead in the Edo governorship election after the collation of results from 16 LGAs.

Results from the remaining two LGAs are being expected at the collation centre of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Benin, the Edo capital.

The exercise commenced on Sunday morning after it failed to kick off after the election on Saturday.

So far, the APC has bagged 244,549 votes. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 195,954 while the Labour Party (LP) has polled 13,348 votes.

The election featured 17 candidates — but Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, Monday Okpebholo of the APC and Olumide Akpata of the LP are the major contenders.

From the results announced so far, the APC has won 10 LGAs while PDP, the ruling party in the state, has been victorious in 10.

For most parts of the collation process, PDP agents pushed back against results from various LGAs, describing some of them as “manufactured”.

Officials of INEC have appealed to aggrieved parties to embrace the appropriate channel to challenge the outcome of the election.

The collation exercise is expected to resume by 5pm on Sunday.