Mr Osaigbovo Iyhoa, agent of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the State Collation Centre of the 2024 governorship election conducted in Edo State on Saturday has averred that the election results are fraught with irregularities.
NaijaOnPoint.com.ng (NOP) reports that the results of the election were declared on Sunday with Monday Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerging as the winner, defeating candidates of the PDP, Asue Ighodalo and that of the Labour Party, Olumide Akpata.
Mr Iyhoa demanded the suspension of the declaration of the results while stressing that his party had submitted a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging the returning officer to suspend the process, pending the determination of issues raised.
Nevertheless, INEC went on to declare Okpebholo of the Edo State governorship election. INEC’s Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Faruk Kuta, announced the winner on Sunday 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. Candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr Olumide Akpata, came third with 22,763 votes.
Kuta, therefore, said: “that Okpebholo Monday of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared winner and hereby returned elected.”
A breakdown of the results show that APC won in eleven local governments, while PDP won in seven areas.
NOP the Governor-elect is a serving senator representing Edo Central at the National Assembly.