Oshiomhole wins Edo governorship election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Adams Oshiomhole, as the winner of the July 14^th governorship elections in Edo State.

The incumbent governor polled a landslide victory in all the state’s 17 local government area (see table below), with 477,478 votes-73.72 per cent of 647,698 total votes cast-to defeat his closest rival, Charles Airhiarvbere of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Governor Adams Oshiomhole casts his vote at Ward 10, Unit 1, Iyamho Primary School, Iyamho, during the governorship election.

The result was announced early Sunday morning by INEC’s returning officer, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Osayuki Oshodi.

“I, Prof  Oshiodi as the returning officer, hereby certify  that I was the returning officer of the July 14 governorship election and  hereby declare that Oshiomhole having satisfied the requirement of the law and having scored the highest number of votes cast is hereby declared winner,’’ the electoral official declared

PDP’s candidate polled 144,235 votes, (22.27 per cent of total votes) , while the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) candidate, Solomon Edebiri, got 3,642 votes.

Izevbuwa Roland of the Congress for Political Change (CPC), polled 2,792 votes, or 0.43 per cent of the total votes while Frank Ukonga of the Social Democratic Mega party (SDMP), got 807 votes, or 0.56 per cent of total votes.

Others in the result include Andrew Igwemoh of the Labour Party (LP), 604, with 0.09 per cent, and Paul Orumwense of the National Conscience Party (NCP), 504 votes, with 0.08 per cent of total votes.

With this election, Mr Oshiomhole, the former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has earned a second term in office following his election in the 2007 general election.

President Goodluck Jonathan has congratulated Mr Oshiomhole on his victory in the election and also wished the Comrade-governor a successful second term in office.

He urged the Mr Oshiomhole to receive the fresh mandate as an endorsement of his outstanding performance in first term in office.

The president commended the electoral body and the security agencies for the successful conduct of the election.

Opposition party, the PDP has also congratulated Mr. Oshiomhole for the victory.

Speaking shortly after the result was announced at the INEC office in Benin, the party’s agent accepted the result, noting that his party would study the result of the election and then come forward with a formal reaction.

Breakdown of Edo election results