AT exactly 9.28 pm, Sunday, Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was declared the winner of the Edo State 2024 governorship election, sparking celebration in the state.
He polled 291,667 votes to beat his closest marker, Dr Asue Ighodalo, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who scored 247,655 votes. Okpebholo was better with 44,012 votes and emerged victorious in Edo’s keenest governorship poll ever.
Labour Party, LP, Standard bearer, Olumide Akpata, came a distant third with 22,763 votes.
An elated Okpebholo told Edo people that they had elected the best person for the job and should expect the best from him.
His victory came amid complaints from Governor Obaseki, the PDP Campaign Council, PDP governors, and civil society organisations, who picked holes in the hitches that trailed the collation process midway and urged the INEC to address the situation.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Faruk Kuta, declared Okpebhole as the winner of the poll at the collation centre in Benin City, the state capital on Sunday.
The APC candidate polled 291,667 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Ighodalo, who polled 247,274 votes while Akpata of the LP came a distant third with 22,763 votes.
“That Okpebholo, having satisfied the requirement of the law is thereby declared the winner and returned elected,” Kuta, who is the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna, said.
Edo State has a total of 18 Local Government Areas, divided into Edo North, Edo South and Edo Central. Traditionally, Edo North has always been the stronghold of the APC, while the PDP has always shown strength in Edo Central and Edo South.
Below are the election results:
Igueben LG
Registered voters – 54,549
Accredited voters – 15,274
APC – 5,907
PDP – 8,470
LP – 494
Total valid votes – 14,989
Rejected votes – 278
Total votes cast – 15,267
Esan West LG
Registered voters – 113,067
Accredited voters – 25,702
APC – 12,952
PDP – 11,004
LP – 342
Total valid votes – 24,691
Rejected votes -693
Total votes cast – 25,384
Uhunmwonde LG
Registered voters – 92,169
Accredited voters – 20,044
APC – 8,776
PDP – 9,339
LP – 769
Total valid votes – 19,223
Rejected votes – 553
Total votes cast -19,776
Owan West LG
Registered voters – 67,076
Accredited voters – 24,311
APC – 12,277
PDP – 11,284
LP – 201
Total valid votes -23,904
Rejected votes – 391
Total votes cast – 24,295
Ovia North-East LG
Registered voters – 177,106
Accredited voters – 32,441
APC – 13,225
PDP – 15,311
LP – 1,675
Total valid votes – 30,783
Rejected votes – 1,312
Total votes cast – 32,095
Esan South-East LG
Registered voters – 90,240
Accredited voters – 23,390
APC – 8,398
PDP – 14,199
LP – 98
Total valid votes – 22,780
Rejected votes – 356
Total votes cast – 23,136
Egor LG
Registered voters – 242,266
Accredited voters – 35,463
APC – 16,760
PDP – 14,658
LP – 1,966
Total valid votes – 34,022
Rejected votes – 1,018
Total votes cast – 35,040
Akoko Edo LG
Registered voters – 144,379
Accredited voters – 54,395
APC – 34,847
PDP – 15,865
LP – 2, 239
Total valid votes – 53,547
Rejected votes – 331
Total votes cast – 53,878
Esan Central LG
Registered voters – 68,338
Accredited voters – 20,580
APC – 10,990
PDP – 8,618
LP – 418
Total valid votes – 20,198
Rejected votes – 361
Total votes cast – 20,559
Esan North-East LG
Registered voters – 106,280
Accredited voters – 24,430
APC – 10,648
PDP – 12,522
LP – 194
Total valid votes – 23,637
Rejected votes – 674
Total votes cast – 24,311
Ovia South-West LG
Registered voters – 112,091
Accredited voters- 23,196
APC – 10,150
PDP – 10,260
LP – 849
Valid votes – 21,710
Rejected votes – 1,086
Total Vote cast – 22,796
Orhionmwon LG
Registered voters – 139,260
Accredited voters – 33,196
APC – 16,059
PDP – 14,614
LP – 556
Total valid votes – 31,559
Rejected votes – 1,091
Total vote cast – 32,650
Owan East LG
Registered voters – 106,252
Accredited voters – 34,618
APC – 19,380
PDP – 14,189
LP – 446
Total valid votes – 34,157
Rejected votes – 430
Total votes cast – 34,577
Etsako East LG
Registered voters – 102,754
Accredited voters – 35,084
APC – 20,167
PDP – 9,683
LP – 604
Total valid votes – 30,926
Rejected votes – 435
Total votes cast – 31,361
Etsako Central LG
Registered voters – 59,430
Accredited voters – 21,465
APC – 11,906
PDP – 8,455
LP – 381
Total valid votes – 20,851
Rejected votes – 294
Total votes cast – 21,145
Etsako West LG
Registered voters – 186,449
Accredited voters – 54,304
APC – 32,107
PDP – 17,483
LP – 2,116
Total valid votes – 52,226
Rejected votes – 1,188
Total votes cast – 53,414
Oredo LGA
Registered voters – 356,242
Accredited voters – 64,802
APC – 30,780
PDP – 24,938
LP – 5,389
Total valid votes: 62,703
Rejected votes: 1,339
Total votes cast: 64,042
Ikpoba-Okha LGA
Registered Voters – 392,782
Accredited Voters – 61437
PDP – 26,382
APC – 16,338
LP – 4026
Total valid votes – 48, 784
Rejected Votes – 1455
Total Votes cast – 50,239
