Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, on his victory in the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election held on Saturday.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Okpebholo the winner after he triumphed over his main competitors, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP).

Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes, while Akpata finished third with 22,763 votes.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, on Monday, Sanwo-Olu described the outcome as a “landslide victory” for the APC and a reflection of the party’s ongoing dominance at various levels of government across Nigeria.

Sanwo-Olu praised the people of Edo State for voting for change by electing the APC candidate, noting that their decision sent a strong message.

“I congratulate Senator Monday Okpebholo, the APC governorship candidate in Edo State, for his victory in Saturday’s election,” Sanwo-Olu said. “This landslide win shows that the people of Edo have made the right choice by voting for the APC and rejecting the PDP.”

He urged Okpebholo to ensure that his administration benefits all citizens of Edo State, regardless of their political, social, or ethnic backgrounds. “Make this victory count for all Edo people,” Sanwo-Olu advised.

The Lagos State Governor also expressed confidence that the new APC government in Edo would exceed the expectations of the electorate, bringing a “breath of fresh air” to the state.

Sanwo-Olu thanked President Bola Tinubu for promoting a level playing field during the election and commended INEC for conducting a free and transparent election. He also praised the security agencies for maintaining order throughout the process.

In addition, Sanwo-Olu acknowledged the contributions of key APC figures, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, and members of the National Campaign Council, led by Governor Bassey Ottu, for their roles in securing the party’s victory in Edo State.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured a significant victory in the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election, with its candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, declared the winner.

After the final collation of results, Okpebholo amassed a total of 291,667 votes, surpassing his closest rival from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 247,655 votes.

The Labour Party, although participating, was not a major contender, finishing with 22,763 votes.

The results were officially announced by the returning officer, Professor Faruq Adamu Kuta, Vice Chancellor, (VC), Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State, in Benin City on September 23, 2024, following the collation from all 18 local government areas (LGAs) in the state. The final deciding result came from Ikpoba-Okha LGA, which had been delayed due to logistical challenges, but ultimately confirmed APC’s victory.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a stern warning to political actors regarding any attempts to disrupt the results collation process for the Edo governorship election. Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and member of the Information and Voter Education Committee, expressed these concerns in a statement released on Sunday in Abuja.

Haruna noted that the Commission was alarmed by reports of threats leading to a stampede at its office in Okpoba Okha Local Government on Saturday, as well as concerning actions by some political figures at the state head office.

Following the completion of voting, INEC activated the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal to upload polling unit results, which have also been collated from all 192 wards. Most local government areas have completed their collations, and officials are either at the collation center in Benin City or en route.

“We are prepared to commence state-level collation,” Haruna stated. “However, we received a troubling report from our Resident Electoral Commissioner about a threat to our office in Okpoba Okha, which caused a stampede resulting in injuries to one of our officials.”

He condemned the overnight demonstrations by political actors and their supporters at the state head office, asserting, “These actions are unacceptable. No one should disrupt the process, and lawlessness will not be tolerated.”

Haruna emphasized that the collation of results will proceed in accordance with the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC’s regulations. He reminded stakeholders that there are mechanisms in place for addressing complaints during the collation, including the ability to review results declared under duress.

He also stressed that accredited party agents, observers, and the media must have unrestricted access to all collation centers. Haruna called on security agencies to maintain the vigilance and professionalism that contributed to the peaceful conduct of the election as the process concludes.