PDP kicks as INEC declares Okpebholo winner of Edo Governorship election.
PDP kicks as INEC declares Okpebholo winner of Edo Governorship election.
The People’s Democratic Party has kicked as the Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday, declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the keenly contested Saturday gubernatorial election in the state.
The APC candidate secured 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP who polled 247,274 votes and the Labour Party candidate, Olumide Apata who came distant third with 22,763 votes.
Recall that there were 17 candidates that contested the Edo Topman seat but the fourteen others polled different votes which are insignificant compared to the first three contenders.
Prof Faruk Kuta, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna who served as INEC’s Returning Officer in the election had declared, “That Okpebholo Monday of APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,”
The APC candidate cleared over 10 of the 18 local government areas, leaving the PDP candidate with marginal victory in the other local councils. The APC gained control in two of the three battleground senatorial districts in the state.
Okpebholo was declared winner of Saturday’s election amid protests by supporters of the PDP who strongly posited that the results were fabricated and did not represent the will of the people.
There were protests in parts of the state capital and outside the INEC collation centre, which was heavily guarded for the collation exercise.
Earlier in the day, Obaseki stormed the collation centre to protest the exclusion of PDP agents from the venue but was escorted out of the premises by armed security agents.
At the collation centre, PDP agent, Tony Iyoha, called for the suspension of the entire election over alleged irregularities.
The PDP Governors’ Forum also asked the electoral umpire to respect the will of the people of Edo State and let their votes count. The Forum alleged that the exercise was fraught with electoral malpractices.
The PDP governors led to Edo by Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, faulted some of the results announced, saying they don’t tally with those on IReV.
