After months of intense political activity in Edo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the highly competitive gubernatorial election held on Saturday, September 21, 2024, in the South-South state.
Okpebholo, aged 54, garnered a total of 291,667 votes, surpassing Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 247,274 votes, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), who finished in a distant third place with 22,763 votes. Fourteen other candidates participated in the election but fell far behind the three leading contenders.
At exactly 9:27 PM on Sunday, the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Faruk Kuta, declared, “That Okpebholo Monday of APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.” This announcement was met with joyous celebrations from APC supporters gathered at the collation center in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Final Results of Edo Gubernatorial Election:- APC: 291,667 votes, PDP: 247,274 votes, LP: 22,763 votes Kuta, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, made the declaration after a series of breaks during the collation process.
The APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo, won in more than 10 out of the 18 local government areas (LGAs) of the state, while his PDP opponent, Ighodalo, managed to secure a narrow victory in the remaining councils. Additionally, the APC controlled two out of the three crucial senatorial districts.
Okpebholo’s victory is attributed to his strong influence in the Edo Central Senatorial District, as well as the strategic support of Adams Oshiomhole, his fellow senator from Edo North, and a former governor of the state. This partnership enabled them to overcome the challenges posed by Ighodalo, the preferred candidate of the outgoing governor, Godwin Obaseki.
The APC candidate’s success was also bolstered by his running mate, Dennis Idahosa, a federal legislator, and the backing of Philip Shaibu, Obaseki’s estranged deputy.
Okpebholo’s win brings the APC closer to regaining power at the Dennis Osadebe Government House, which it lost in 2020 when Governor Godwin Obaseki defected from the APC to the PDP after a fallout with Oshiomhole. Denied the APC’s ticket for re-election, Obaseki switched to the PDP and won the 2020 election, securing his second term by defeating APC’s Osagie Ize-Iyamu. Obaseki’s tenure will end on November 12, 2024
Following Okpebholo’s declaration as the winner, protests erupted, particularly from supporters of the PDP, who alleged that the results were manipulated and did not reflect the true will of the people. Demonstrations occurred in parts of Benin City, including outside the INEC collation center, which was heavily guarded by security personnel.
Governor Obaseki personally went to the collation center to protest the exclusion of PDP agents but was escorted out by armed security officials. PDP’s representative at the collation center, Tony Iyoha, called for the suspension of the election, citing widespread irregularities.The PDP’s Edo State chairman, Anthony Aziegbemi, further argued that discrepancies existed between the figures on the election result forms (EC8 forms) and those displayed on INEC’s electronic results viewing (IReV) platform. Echoing these concerns, the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, urged INEC to respect the voters’ will, accusing the electoral body of allowing irregularities to compromise the election results.
Out of the 2,249,780 registered voters with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), turnout on election day was significant, though observers noted various challenges. A coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR), reported cases of voter inducement in several polling units.
According to their observations, votes were being bought for amounts ranging from ₦5,000 to ₦10,000 at polling stations in areas such as Owan-East, Etsako-West, Egor, Oredo, and Owan-West local governments. In some instances, voters were also given food items as inducements.
Despite the presence of security personnel, these practices persisted, with the NCSSR noting widespread vote-buying. Their statement, signed by representatives of various CSOs, highlighted the urgent need to address such irregularities in future elections.
The 2024 Edo gubernatorial election, though marred by protests and allegations of malpractices, has seen Monday Okpebholo of the APC emerge victorious. His triumph signals a potential return of the APC to power in the state, following Obaseki’s defection to the PDP in 2020.
