The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the Saturday governorship election in Edo State.
Mr Okpebholo, 54, polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who scored 247,274 votes and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party, LP, who came a distant third in the race with 22,761 votes.
Declaring the results on Sunday, the returning officer, Faruk Kuta, said Okpebholo Monday of APC, “having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
Mr Kuta, who is the vice-chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, in Niger State, declared the winner of the poll after a series of recesses.
The APC candidate won in 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.
Mr Okpebholo, the Edo Central Senator, leveraged significant influence in his senatorial district, and joined forces with his colleague in the National Assembly from Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, to defeat the PDP candidate.
