The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially presented certificates of return to the Edo State governor-elect, Monday Okpebholo, and his deputy, Dennis Idahosa.
The presentation of certificates, made by INEC National Commissioner overseeing Edo State, Rhoda Gumus, took place on Thursday, four days after the duo’s victory in the Edo State governorship election was announced.
With the development, Okpebholo and Idahosa are now formally recognised as the incoming governor and deputy governor of Edo State, set to succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki, whose tenure at Dennis Osadebe Avenue Government House will end on November 11 after two terms in office.
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Okpebholo, was declared the winner of what was described as a tightly contested election held last Sunday. He garnered a total of 291,667 votes, winning 11 of Edo’s 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs).
INEC’s Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Faruq Kuta, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna, Niger State, announced the final results at the INEC collation centre in Benin City.
“Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress is hereby declared the winner of the Edo State gubernatorial election,” Kuta declared.
Okpebholo’s closest rival, Asue Ighodalo, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), secured 247,274 votes and won seven LGAs, while Labour Party’s candidate, Olumide Akpata, came a distant third with 22,761 votes.
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