The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress with controversial dates of birth like President Bola Tinubu, winner of Saturday’s Edo governorship election.
Mr Okpebholo, according to the INEC returning officer, Prof. Faruk Kuta, polled 291,667 to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, who polled 247,274.
Of the 18 Local Government Areas in the state, the APC won 10 while the PDP settled for eight, but the PDP, in solidarity with its Governors Forum, insisted Ighodalo “clearly won the election.”
In a statement on Sunday, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba responded by explaining that Ahmadu Fintiri presented results from the polling units showing Ighodalo in a clear lead.
The PDP stated, “The Peoples Democratic Party stands by the results of the Edo State Governorship election as garnered by its polling agents across the state and echoed by the Chairman of the Edo PDP National Campaign Council, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, which indicate that the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, clearly won the election.
“The PDP asserts that the rush, venom, and hauling of insults with which the All Progressives Congress attacked Governor Fintiri only confirms APC’s violent desperation to cover its manipulations and steal the mandate freely given to Dr. Asue Ighodalo by the people of Edo State as reflected in the genuine votes cast at the Polling Units.
