Edo: APC dismisses poll fraud, police recover stolen BVAS

Following the Peoples Democratic Party’s rejection of the results of the Edo governorship poll on Saturday, the All Progressives Congress warned the opposition party to reconsider its decision to contest the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election, saying it would be a sheer waste of time and resources.

Senator Monday Okpebholo, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, was declared the winner of the tightly contested election on Sunday.

The Returning Officer for the election and the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Faruq Adamu Kuta, announced the result at the INEC collation centre in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

Okpebholo secured 291,667 votes, winning 10 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 eight LGAs. Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata finished third with 22,761 votes.

Okpebholo succeeds the incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki, who will leave Osadebe House on November 11 after completing two terms in office.

The National Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, gave the warning in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday.

The PDP had on Monday rejected the poll outcome announced by INEC and demanded an immediate review of the results by the electoral body.