By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
The Edo State 2024 governorship election ended yesterday at 9:28 pm when Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner.
This sparked widespread celebrations across the state. Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes, surpassing his closest rival, Dr. Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who gained 247,655 votes.
Okpebholo’s victory margin stood at 44,012 votes, cementing his position as the next governor of Edo State. Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata trailed behind with 22,763 votes.
In his victory speech, Okpebholo expressed gratitude to the people of Edo, saying: “Edo people have elected the right person for the job. A new Edo is rising. I am here to develop Edo State; I want to transform Edo the way it should be. I want to tell you that I will start from where Adams Oshiomhole stopped. Edo will receive a new transformation, and by the grace of God, Edo will stand firm.”
Okpebholo’s win was met with jubilation, particularly in Edo North, where he dominated the polls, securing 130,684 votes compared to PDP’s 76,959 votes and LP’s 5,987.
To emerge victorious, Okpebholo won 11 out of 18 local councils, including Governor Godwin Obaseki’s Orhionmwon. However, Ighodalo prevailed in seven LGAs. The 11 LGAs that Okpebholo won including Governor Godwin Obaseki’s Orhionmwon, are Etsako West, Etsako East, Akofo Edo, Owan East, Owan West, Etsako Central, Esan West, Esan North-East, Esan central, Egor, and Oredo.
Ighodalo won in seven LGAs, namely Esan North-East, Esan South-East, Igueben, Ovia North-East, Ovia South-West, Uhunwonde and Ikpoba-Okha.
Governor Obaseki reacted to the outcome, urging and encouraging angry individuals to explore legal options. “In the midst of this despair, I am urging all my fellow Edo citizens to maintain calm and not resort to violence and destruction of property in spite of this provocation,” Obaseki stated.
Obaseki also said, “Clearly, it is obvious to the least discerning, the amount of impunity and reckless disregard for processes and law that was displayed in this gubernatorial election. In a democracy, there are safeguards for addressing grievances, and we hope that those affected will seek resolution for this blatant disregard of law and process.”
The PDP National Campaign Council Chairman, Umaru Fintiri, demanded the restoration of the collation process, stating interruptions and breaches of the Electoral Act.
Fintiri stated: “The collation process was violently interrupted in several local government areas across the State. In Edo South, local government collation processes were stopped in Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha, and Egor and moved illegally to the State Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Benin.”
The APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, congratulated Okpebholo on his victory, praising the people of Edo State for their confidence in the APC.
Ganduje said: “The triumph is a testament to the confidence the good people of Edo State have in the progressive vision and leadership of the President Bola Tinubu-led APC administration.”
Civil society organizations expressed concerns over the transparency of the collation process.
In a joint statement, the organizations said: “We, the undersigned accredited civil society organizations observing the 2024 Edo governorship elections, express concern over the transparency of the collation of the election results.”
President Bola Tinubu commended INEC and security agencies for conducting a peaceful election.
Tinubu stated: “I commend the INEC and our security agencies for working round the clock to conduct a successful, peaceful and largely hitch-free exercise. INEC has once again demonstrated that it is committed to organising a free and fair election in our country.”
Senator Adams Oshiomhole described the outcome as “a personal fulfillment” and attributed the victory to divine intervention.
Oshiomhole said: “Everything and anything that God cannot do, does not exist, and that is when ordinary men think they have power, those with wisdom know that power resides with God; and only those who wield it on planet earth, wield with wisdom.”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio restated Oshiomhole’s sentiments, stating: “The will of God has been done today, and I regard this day as the day of liberation.”
The PDP, however, disputed the election results, with National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba saying: “The PDP had on several occasions alerted Nigerians of this sinister plot by the APC which will be firmly resisted as the APC and its candidate Monday Okpebholo were thoroughly defeated in the election.”
Ologunagba added: “The PDP stands by the results of the Edo State Governorship election as garnered by its polling agents across the state and echoed by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.”
PDP supporters protested the alleged manipulation of results near the INEC headquarters in Benin.
The election has left many political actors in Edo as winners and losers of the tightly fought election.
The major winners include President Bola Tinubu, Okpebholo himself, who became a senator in his first attempt, a feat he repeated by becoming governor-elect. Another major winner is Edo North Senator and immediate past Edo Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
Oshiomhole extracted his pound of flesh from his successor, Governor Godwin Obaseki. Oshiomhole was instrumental in Obaseki’s 2016 election on the APC platform. However, when Oshiomhole ensured Obaseki was denied the APC re-election ticket as APC national chairman, Obaseki defected to the PDP, secured the ticket, and won re-election.
In Saturday’s election, Oshiomhole fought hard to stop Obaseki from producing his successor and succeeded.
The losers include Governor Godwin Obaseki, who failed to install his preferred successor, and the PDP governorship candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.
Ighodalo’s loss was a significant blow to Obaseki’s legacy and the PDP’s hopes of retaining power in Edo State.
The election outcome has sparked mixed reactions, with some hailing Okpebholo’s victory and others questioning the legitimacy of the process.
President Tinubu congratulated Okpebholo, praising the people of Edo State for their confidence in the APC.
Tinubu urged Okpebholo not to be too proud over his victory but to see it as a challenging call to service.
“He should demonstrate magnanimity by reaching out to his political rivals and uniting the people of Edo State to ensure its development,” Tinubu said.
The PDP has vowed to challenge the election results, citing irregularities and electoral malpractices.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said, “The PDP stands by the results of the Edo State Governorship election as garnered by its polling agents across the state.”
As the post-election landscape unfolds, the people of Edo State await the next steps in the transition process.
