The candidate from the All Progressives Congress (APC),  Monday Okpebholo, has been officially declared the winner of the Edo State governorship election. The announcement was made by Farouk Adamu, the returning officer from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during a declaration in Benin City on Sunday.

“I, Prof. Faruq Adamu Kuta, certify that I am the returning officer for the Edo State governorship election held on September 21, 2024,” Kuta stated. “Having met the requirements of the law, Monday Okpebholo of the APC is hereby declared the winner of the election.”

Okpebholo, currently serving as a senator, secured 291,667 votes, defeating Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 247,274 votes. The Labour Party’s candidate, Olumide Akpata, came in third with 22,763 votes. The APC achieved victories in 11 out of the 18 local government areas (LGAs) of the state, while the PDP won in the remaining seven. A total of 17 candidates participated in the off-cycle election.

Before the final declaration, several PDP supporters staged protests near the INEC headquarters, alleging electoral fraud. Tony Iyoha, a PDP representative at the collation center, accused the APC of manipulating the results. Despite the demonstrations, Okpebholo was affirmed as the winner of the tightly contested election.