The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued certificate of return to the Governor-elect of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, and his Deputy, Dennis Idahosa.
INEC issued Okpebholo, a serving Senator representing Edo Central at the National Assembly, with the certificate of return on Thursday after winning the governorship election conducted in Edo State on Saturday.
Both Okpebholo and Idahosa were issued with their certificates of return at the headquarters of INEC in Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT).
Recall INEC had declared Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the Saturday governorship election in Edo.
INEC’s Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Faruk Kuta, announced the winner in Benin after the collation of results from 18 local government areas in the state.
Kuta, who is the Vice-Chancelleor, Federal University of Technology, Minna, said Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 247,274 votes. The candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr Olumide Akpata, came third with 22,763 votes. A breakdown of the results show that APC won in eleven local governments, while PDP won in seven areas.
Also recall that the PDP had earlier rejected the outcome of the Saturday Edo governorship election, saying it will use every legal means to reclaim it mandate.
PDP acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum at a news conference in Abuja said that the party was firmed to retrieve the mandate with every means legal and available in a democracy.
Dignitaries in attendance included National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, National Working Committee members, and reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo, Comrade Philip Shaibu.
