By Our Reporter
With over 90% of the votes in the governorship elections that took place in Edo state on Saturday counted, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo, is reportedly leading.
Results from about 16 LGAs announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Sunday, saw Okpebholo securing 244,549 votes, followed closely by Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with a vote count of 195,954, while the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Olumide Akpata came a distant third with 13,348 votes.
While INEC is still expecting more results from the remaining local government areas, the results from 16 LGAs have been presented at the commission’s headquarters in Benin City.
This Saturday’s election in Edo state is seen more as a battle between the two leading political personalities in the state – Godwin Obaseki of the PDP and Adams Oshiomhole of the ruling APC, who was Obaseki’s former political ally.
The rift between the two began with the refusal in 2019 of 14 state-elected lawmakers loyal to Oshiomhole from being sworn in as members of state parliament orchestrated by Obaseki. To retaliate, Oshiomhole then as National Chairman of APC, denied Obaseki APC’s second term gubernatorial ticket thus forcing Obaseki to move to PDP. And with the help of PDP, Obaseki was able to secure a second term,
This election has offered the two feuding parties opportunities to flex their muscles again in the political arena.
The Oshiomhole’s camp sees this as an opportunity to strike back at Obaseki, after the woeful 2020 outing. And they are no doubt determined to take back the state from the Obaseki’s PDP.