The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented certificates of return to Monday Okpebholo, Edo State’s Governor-elect, and Dennis Idahosa, his Deputy.
Rhoda Gumus, the INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Edo State, issued the certificates to them on Thursday, five days after Okpebholo and his deputy were named the poll’s winners.
The issue of certificates of return officially confirms Okpebholo and Idahosa as Edo’s governor and deputy governor, respectively.
Okpebholo will succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki, who is leaving Osadebe House on November 11 after serving two terms.
Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress’ governorship candidate, was named the victor of the hotly contested Edo governorship election on Sunday.
Prof. Faruq Kuta, the election’s returning officer and vice chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, announced the results at the INEC collation headquarters in Benin City.
Okpebholo received 291,667 votes and won 11 of the state’s 18 LGAs. His closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the People’s Democratic Party, received 247,274 votes and won seven LGAs, while the Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata finished a distant third with 22,761 votes.
