The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Edo State governorship election held on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
INEC’s Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Faruk Kuta, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, announced the results, stating that Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes, defeating his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 247,274 votes. Labour Party’s (LP) candidate, Olumide Akpata, finished a distant third, receiving 22,763 votes.
In total, 14 other candidates contested in the election, though they collectively received significantly fewer votes than the top three contenders.
Prof. Kuta, while declaring the results, said, “That Okpebholo Monday of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”
This election marks a significant victory for the APC, reaffirming their leadership in the state. The results also reflect the competitive nature of the poll, with a relatively close margin between the APC and PDP candidates.
INEC’s official declaration concludes a tense electoral process, with attention now shifting to the governor-elect’s agenda for the next political term.