Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, lost his local government area to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, in the governorship election held on September 21, 2024.
Obaseki, who is from Oredo Local Government Area, had strongly backed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, in the election.
According to the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, the APC secured 30,780 votes, the PDP received 24,938 votes, and Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata garnered 5,389 votes.
On Saturday, September 21, 2024, Edo State residents voted to elect a new governor to succeed Obaseki, whose eight-year tenure will conclude on November 12, 2024.
Edo is one of eight states holding off-season governorship elections due to legal disputes and court rulings, alongside Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun, and Ondo.
INEC reported that Edo State has 2,629,025 registered voters across 4,519 polling units. Out of this total, 2,249,780 voters (85.57%) possess Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and are eligible to choose Obaseki’s successor.
While 17 candidates contested the election, analysts have described it as a three-way race between Ighodalo, Okpebholo, and Akpata.
In terms of party dominance, the APC holds Senate seats in Edo North (represented by Adams Oshiomhole) and Edo Central (represented by Okpebholo), while Labour Party’s Neda Imasuen represents Edo South, where Akpata hails from.