The Edo State governorship election has taken a dramatic turn as Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, establishes a substantial lead in the polls.
With results from 16 out of 18 local government areas announced, Okpebholo is ahead with 244,549 votes, followed by Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 195,954 votes, and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party trailing behind with 13,348 votes.
However, the collation centre has temporarily adjourned and will resume at 5 PM to allow for the arrival of results from the remaining two local government areas, including Oredo, the most populous local government in Edo State and the stronghold of Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The PDP has alleged irregularities in the collation process, claiming that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) manipulated the results to favor the APC.
INEC has hinted at the possibility of canceling some results, stating that it retains the authority to review any election results declared under duress.
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The commission’s National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, emphasized that INEC is committed to ensuring the integrity of the electoral process and will not hesitate to exercise its power to review results if necessary.
As the collation of results continues, tensions remain high, with both parties entrenched in their positions as they await further developments in the election outcome.
The PDP has urged INEC to cancel elections in some polling units, citing irregularities and security threats.
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