Edo State Governorship Election: APC Leads as Results from 16 LGAs Announced

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced results from 16 out of 18 local government areas in the Edo State gubernatorial election held in September 2024. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, is currently leading the People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, by nearly 40,000 votes.

The APC has amassed 244,549 votes, while the PDP trails with 195,954 votes. Meanwhile, the Labour Party has garnered 8,682 votes across the regions where results have been declared. The state returning officer, Professor Faruk Adamu from the Federal University of Technology, Minna, is overseeing the process at the collation center in Benin City.

INEC has temporarily halted the collation process, with Oredo and Ikpoba Okha local government areas yet to be announced. The resumption is expected around 5 p.m., although the exact time is not certain as electoral officers remain stationed in the field.

The electoral process has been met with criticism by the PDP, which has raised concerns over alleged manipulation of results. However, the APC’s state chairman, Jarret Tenebe, insists that the election was the most transparent in the state’s history, reflecting the genuine will of the populace.

Detailed results from some local governments include:

• Owan West LGA: APC – 12,277; PDP – 11,284; LP – 201
• Uhunmwonde LGA: APC – 8,776; PDP – 9,339; LP – 769
• Esan West LGA: APC – 12,952; LP – 342
• Ovia North East LGA: APC – 13,225; PDP – 15,311; LP – 1,675
• Orhionmwon LGA: APC – 16,059; PDP – 14,189; LP – 556
• Igueben LGA: APC – 5,907; PDP – 8,470; LP – 497

The election results reflect varying degrees of support for the leading parties across the different wards, providing insight into the political landscape of Edo State.