It was a carnival-like ceremony on Thursday when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented a certificate of return to Senator Monday Okpebholo, governor-elect of Edo state, and Dennis Idahosa, his deputy. The certificate was presented by Prof. Rhoda Gumus, national commissioner representing Edo state who represented the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu at the
It was a carnival-like ceremony on Thursday when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented a certificate of return to Senator Monday Okpebholo, governor-elect of Edo state, and Dennis Idahosa, his deputy.
The certificate was presented by Prof. Rhoda Gumus, national commissioner representing Edo state who represented the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
The event which was turned into a party affair had in attendance Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, APC National Chairman; Senator Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo north; the reinstated Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Philip Shaibu, Senator Matthew Uroghide, General Cecil Esekhaigbe (retd), Senator Francis Alimikhena, Hon. Ogbeide Ihama, Hon. Omosede Igbinedion, and Blessing Agbonmhere, some members of the party’s national working committee (NWC) among others.
Speaking after the presentation, Alhaji Ganduje said party faithful are elated after regaining the state from 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.
Senator Oshiomhole said the governor-elect 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. 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 artifacts, a governor who knows the value of education and will not destroy libraries to replace them with markets.”
Shortly after, the Governor-elect, his deputy, and his entourage proceeded to the Presidential Villa to present the certificate and pay homage to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The governor-elect and his deputy went down on their knees to greet President Tinubu who got up on his feet to receive the entourage.
On Sunday, INEC declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate as the winner of the Edo governorship election. The electoral body said Senator Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Mr. Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 247,274 votes.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) have rejected the outcome of the election.
