After months of intense political maneuvering and anticipation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the Edo State governorship election held on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
Okpebholo, 54, secured 291,667 votes, defeating his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 247,274 votes. Labour Party candidate Olumide Akpata finished a distant third with 22,761 votes, while 14 other candidates received minimal support.
Announcing the results at the INEC collation center in Benin City, Edo State, the Returning Officer, Prof. Faruk Kuta, declared, “That Okpebholo Monday of APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.” The declaration was made at 9:27 PM on Sunday to loud cheers from APC supporters.
Prof. Kuta, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, officiated the announcement after a series of recesses and collation of results across the state. Okpebholo’s victory came after he secured wins in over 10 of the 18 local government areas, leaving Ighodalo with slim victories in the remaining areas.
The APC candidate’s success was largely attributed to his strong influence in Edo Central, where he currently serves as senator, as well as his strategic alliance with former Edo State governor and current senator, Adams Oshiomhole, who hails from Edo North. This collaboration helped Okpebholo gain significant ground, particularly in two of the three battleground senatorial districts.
In his post-election remarks, Okpebholo credited the victory to teamwork, highlighting the contributions of his running mate, Dennis Idahosa, and former deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, who fell out with Governor Godwin Obaseki.
“The people of Edo have spoken through their votes, and we are committed to fulfilling the mandate they have given us. We will ensure a better future for Edo State,” Okpebholo said, expressing his gratitude to the electorate and vowing to work for all Edo citizens.
A Contest of Giants
The 2024 Edo governorship election was widely seen as a three-horse race between Okpebholo, Ighodalo, and Akpata. The APC’s victory marks a potential return to power for the party in Edo State, which lost its grip in 2020 after Governor Godwin Obaseki defected to the PDP following a fallout with Oshiomhole. Obaseki’s second term ends on November 12, 2024.
Ighodalo, a businessman and Obaseki’s handpicked successor, campaigned vigorously for the PDP, but Okpebholo’s strong ties to Oshiomhole, coupled with grassroots support, proved decisive.
Protests and Allegations of Irregularities
Okpebholo’s victory did not come without controversy. PDP supporters staged protests across Benin City and outside the INEC collation center, accusing the electoral body of manipulating the results. PDP officials, including the party’s agent at the collation center, Tony Iyoha, called for the suspension of the entire election, citing discrepancies between figures on the election result forms (EC8) and those uploaded on INEC’s IReV platform.
Governor Obaseki also made a brief appearance at the collation center, protesting the exclusion of PDP agents from the premises. His presence was met with a heavy security response, and he was later escorted out by armed guards.
Anthony Aziegbemi, the PDP chairman in Edo State, echoed the concerns, stating, “The figures on the EC8 form do not tally with those on INEC’s IReV platform. We demand transparency and accountability.”
The PDP Governors’ Forum also weighed in on the matter, calling on INEC to “respect the will of the people.” Led by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, the forum condemned the irregularities and demanded that the electoral body ensure the votes of Edo citizens are accurately counted.
Despite the protests, INEC maintained that the results reflected the will of the electorate. According to the commission, 2,249,780 registered voters with Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) participated in the election.
Edo State is one of eight Nigerian states where governorship elections are held off-season due to past litigations and court judgments. The other states include Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun, and Ondo.
As the dust settles, all eyes remain on how Okpebholo will shape his governance and unify a state deeply divided along political lines.
