The Independent National Electoral Commission has issued certificates of return to the Edo State Governor-elect, Monday Okpebholo, and his Deputy, Dennis Idahosa.
The certificates were issued to them by the INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Edo State, Rhoda Gumus, on Thursday, five days after Okpebholo and his deputy were declared the winner of the poll.
The issuance of certificates of return has officially confirmed Okpebholo and Idahosa as the governor and deputy governor of Edo.
Okpebholo will succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki, who will leave Osadebe House on November 11 after completing two terms in office.
Okpebholo, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, was declared the winner of the tightly contested Edo governorship election on Sunday.
The Returning Officer for the election and the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Faruq Kuta, announced the result at the INEC collation centre in Benin City.
Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes, winning 11 out of the 18 Local Government Areas in the state.
His closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, obtained 247,274 votes, winning seven LGAs. Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata finished third with 22,761 votes.
Abdullahi Ganduje, APC chairman; Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo north; and some members of the party’s national working committee (NWC); graced the occasion.
Speaking afterwards, Ganduje said party faithful are elated after losing the state to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“This was an APC state, but we lost it. The governor went on a sabbatical. But we have been able to recover the state now for APC, so we are quite happy. We also commend INEC for conducting a free and fair election,” he said.
Oshiomhole said Okpebholo would respect the traditions of the state and place value on education.
“Edo people are happy because they had a governor that disrespected them and brutalised them,” he said.
“Now, we have a humble and focused governor.
“We now have a governor who will respect our traditional institutions, who will not be fighting over artefacts, a governor who knows the value of education and will not destroy libraries to replace them with markets.”
The PDP and LP have rejected the outcome of the election.
