The Independent National Electoral Commission held the highly anticipated governorship election in Edo State on Saturday. In the lead-up to the election, the atmosphere was charged with tension, largely due to the heated exchanges and threats exchanged between the competing political parties. To ensure a smooth electoral process, more than 43,000 policemen, along with various other security personnel, were deployed across the state by Friday.
Despite the palpable anxiety and the potential for unrest, the election unfolded with relative peace. Voters participated in the process, demonstrating their civic duty amid concerns about political antics and interference. While the election was not entirely free from the usual maneuvering characteristic of political contests, it proceeded without the widespread violence that had been feared.
At the end of the exercise, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Monday Okpebholo, polled 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival and the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes.
The third force, the Labour Party, did not spring the much-expected surprise as its candidate, Olumide Akpata, managed to get a scanty 22,763 votes.
