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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented a certificate of return to Senator Monday Okpebholo, the winner of the Edo State Governorship election.
Okpebholo received the certificate at the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
This is coming four days after the commission declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate the winner of the poll.
In the election, Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to beat his closest contender, Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) came a distant third in the race with 22,763 votes.
PDP, Ighodalo reject election result
Meanwhile, the PDP and its candidate have rejected the result of the poll, alleging that the election was rigged.
While reacting to the election result on Monday, Ighodalo attributed his loss to forces working against the people’s will.
“That day will forever be etched in our history as one of our darkest moments,” he declared, adding that it was a day marked by the “brazen theft of our mandate.”
Despite the outcome, Ighodalo struck a determined tone, encouraging his supporters to remain committed to the cause.
“The illusory triumph of evil over good is only temporary,” he said, vowing to continue working towards a better Edo State.
On its part, the PDP vowed to use every legal means to reclaim its mandate.
The acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum said despite intimidations and manipulations, results obtained from the polling units showed that Ighodalo won the election before the figures were allegedly altered.