Breaking: Obaseki Re-elected As Edo Governor

Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has declared incumbent Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki re-elected.

Mr Obaseki polled 307,955 votes to defeat his main rival, Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who had 223,619 votes. He also won in 13 of the 18 local government areas and thus scored more than 25 per cent of votes cast in two-thirds of the local governments in the state to satisfy the second constitutional requirement to be declared governor.

A total of 14 parties contested the election but PDP and APC are the main parties.

The result of the election, held in all Edo’s 18 local governments, was declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday in Benin, the state capital.

“Godwin Obaseki of the PDP, having satisfied the requirement of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner,” Johnson Alalibo, the chief returning officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state, announced on Sunday afternoon.

Accredited voters: 557,443

Valid votes: 537,407

Rejected votes: 12,835

Total votes cast: 550,242

Mr Obaseki won his first election in 2016 as a candidate of the APC, principally supported by Adams Oshiomhole, the immediate past governor and former chairman of the APC. Mr Ize-Iyamu was then the candidate of the PDP.

The election was conducted with compliance to some COVID-19 protocol as officials were seen conducting thermal checks and requiring voters to use face masks before voting. However, there was no social distancing anywhere.

The Commission said a certificate of return will be presented to Obaseki within the next seven days as required by the law.