The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Thursday presented Certificates of Return to the Governor-elect of Edo state, Senator Monday Okpebholo and his deputy, Hon. Dennis Idahosa.
The event, which took place at the INEC headquarters, saw dignitaries, including the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje and some members of the party’s National Working Committee NWC in attendance.
Other dignitaries were the court-reinstated Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Philip Shaibu, Senator Matthew Uroghide, General Cecil Esekhaigbe (retd), Senator Francis Alimikhena, Hon. Ogbeide Ihama, Hon. Omosede Igbinedion and Blessing Agbonmhere, among others.
The certificate issuance ceremony is coming five days after Okpebholo and his deputy were declared the winners of the poll.
Okpebholo, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, was declared the winner of the tightly contested Edo governorship election on Sunday.
The Returning Officer for the election and the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Faruq Kuta, announced the result at the INEC collation centre in Benin City.
Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes, winning 11 out of the 18 Local Government Areas in the state.
His closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, obtained 247,274 votes, winning seven LGAs.
Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata finished third with 22,761 votes.
