The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially issued Certificates of Return to Edo State Governor-elect, Monday Okpebholo, and his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, solidifying their victory in the recently concluded gubernatorial election. The duo, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), were presented with their certificates during a formal ceremony at INEC’s national headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
This follows Okpebholo’s triumph in the governorship election held in Edo State on Saturday, where he emerged as the victor after a fiercely contested race. Okpebholo, who currently serves as a Senator representing Edo Central at the National Assembly, was declared the winner after securing a total of 291,667 votes, defeating his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 247,274 votes. Labour Party’s (LP) candidate, Olumide Akpata, finished in a distant third place with 22,763 votes.
The official announcement was made by INEC’s Returning Officer for the election, Professor Faruk Kuta, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, after the collation of results from the state’s 18 local government areas. The APC won in 11 local governments, while the PDP secured victory in seven.
The certificate presentation ceremony was attended by key political figures, including the National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, members of the APC National Working Committee, and the reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo, Comrade Philip Shaibu. The high-profile event marked the formal recognition of Okpebholo and Idahosa’s victory by INEC, signaling the next phase of leadership transition in Edo State.
However, the PDP has not taken the results of the election lightly. Umar Damagum, the party’s acting National Chairman, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the outcome, asserting that the election was flawed and vowing to challenge the results in court. During a press conference in Abuja, Damagum declared that the PDP would explore every legal option to reclaim what it perceives as its rightful mandate.
“We are determined to use every legal means available within a democracy to retrieve our mandate. This fight is far from over,” Damagum said, hinting at a prolonged legal battle ahead.
The election has already generated significant debate among political analysts and stakeholders in the state. Some have praised INEC for conducting a peaceful and relatively smooth election process, while others have raised concerns about potential irregularities and the conduct of certain political actors during the campaign and voting periods.
