Edo Guber: INEC Declares APC’s Monday Okpebholo Winner

By Dipo Olowookere

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Saturday, September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State, Mr Monday Okpebholo, has been declared as the winner of the exercise.

Mr Okpebholo was announced as the winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday night.

He defeated his closest rival, Mr Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after polling 291,667 votes as against the 247,274 votes secured by the PDP candidate.

The Returning Officer of INEC for the election in Edo State, Prof Faruk Kuta, declared that the APC’s candidate has been duly returned elected.

“That Okpebholo Monday of APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, in Niger State announced at a few minutes before 9:30 pm today at the collation centre in Benin City, the state capital.

It was observed that Mr Okpebolo, a Senator from Edo Central Senatorial District, won in 10 of the 18 local government areas of the state to emerge as the governor-elect.

He will be expected to take over the affairs of the state from Governor Godwin Obaseki of the PDP in the coming months.