Edo Election: Has APC Stolen Victory from PDP?

Let’s be honest, the Edo State governorship election has been nothing short of a “alot of stress”. We’ve watched chaos unfold, and now the results are in, but does anyone even understand what’s going on anymore? It’s been months of tension, power plays, and relentless politicking, and finally, INEC has announced that Monday Okpebholo of the APC is the winner of the highly controversial election held on Saturday, September 21, 2024.

“That Okpebholo Monday of APC having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” INEC’s Returning Officer for the poll, Prof Faruk Kuta, said at exactly 09:27 pm, to delightful cheers from APC supporters at the collation centre in Benin City, the state capital on Sunday.”

Of course, not everyone is happy, what did you expect? The PDP is already screaming foul, demanding the suspension of the results. But let’s dive into the circus that was the Edo election.

Table of Contents

The Outcome Nobody Saw Coming—Or Did They?

Monday Okpebholo, a man who has become synonymous with APC’s hopes in Edo State, bagged 291,667 votes to beat Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, who managed 247,274 votes. Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata was a distant third, scraping together a measly 22,761 votes. Fourteen other candidates? Barely worth mentioning. They were just there to make up the numbers.

INEC’s Returning Officer, Prof. Faruk Kuta, who looked like he was forced into early retirement with all the recesses, finally declared Okpebholo the winner at 09:27 pm on Sunday. APC supporters went wild in Benin City’s collation center, but we all know this isn’t the end of the story. Not in Nigerian politics. Expect a court case any moment now.

Okpebholo’s Playbook: Friends in High Places

Now, you might be wondering how Okpebholo pulled this off. Simple! he had the right friends in high places. Edo Central’s senator teamed up with none other than Adams Oshiomhole from Edo North, and together, they crushed the PDP’s golden boy, Ighodalo. Obaseki’s protégé never stood a chance.

Okpebholo didn’t do it alone, though. His running mate, Dennis Idahosa, a federal lawmaker, played a key role, and let’s not forget the delicious irony of Philip Shaibu, Obaseki’s estranged deputy, who jumped ship to the APC just in time to watch his former boss suffer.

Obaseki’s Last Hurrah: The Man Who Couldn’t Deliver

This entire election wasn’t just about Okpebholo vs. Ighodalo; it was really Obaseki vs. everyone. The outgoing governor campaigned hard for Ighodalo, but it all blew up in his face. How could it not? Obaseki has been at odds with too many people for too long. He even replaced his former deputy, Shaibu, with Omobayo Godwin from Akoko Edo, but guess what? The APC swept Akoko Edo clean. Shaibu might be smiling somewhere, having the last laugh at his former boss’ expense.

The rumors are wild too. People are saying Obaseki even has beef with the Oba of Benin. And if you know Edo politics, that is a death sentence. In Benin, the Oba comes first, always. Obaseki may have thrown his support behind Ighodalo, but he couldn’t win over his own people.

Protests, Allegations, and the Inevitable Court Cases

You didn’t think the PDP would take this lying down, did you? Of course not. They’ve already started protesting, alleging that the election results were fabricated. Outside the collation center in Benin City, the tension was high as armed security kept protesters at bay. Even Obaseki himself stormed the collation center to make a scene, demanding that his party agents be let in. He was promptly escorted out by security.

The PDP isn’t letting this go. Their state chairman, Anthony Aziegbemi, pointed out discrepancies between the figures on the EC8 forms and those on INEC’s IReV platform. He’s not the only one. The PDP Governors’ Forum also accused INEC of rigging the election, demanding that the electoral commission respects the will of the people. They claim the announced results don’t match the real votes cast.

At the collation center, PDP agent Tony Iyoha called for the entire election to be suspended over these alleged irregularities. But was anyone really surprised? Of course not. This is the same tired script we’ve seen play out over and over again in elections across the country.

The APC’s Return to Power: A Bitter Pill for Obaseki

For the APC, this win marks their triumphant return to power in Edo State, a position they lost in 2020 when Obaseki switched sides to the PDP after falling out with Oshiomhole. Remember that drama? Obaseki was denied the APC ticket, so he jumped ship, grabbed the PDP’s ticket, and won a second term. Now, with Okpebholo’s victory, Obaseki’s reign is officially winding down, and it’s not ending on a high note.

What makes this even more painful for Obaseki is that the APC’s return to Dennis Osadebe Government House is largely thanks to his former allies. It’s the political equivalent of being stabbed in the back and then asked to clean up the blood yourself- of course by those you “stabbed first.”