Governor Godwin Obaseki announced that Asue Ighodalo has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the results of the governorship election that took place on Saturday, September 21......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Senator Monday Okpebholo, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner of the polls by the electoral body, receiving 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Asue Ighodalo, who scored 247,274.
Okpebholo’s victory at the polls has been questioned by civil society organizations and the opposition party, who claim the elections were not credible.
Obaseki, in his initial reaction, called for calm and instructed all aggrieved candidates to seek redress in court.
However, in a video circulating on social media, Obaseki revealed that the party will petition INEC, alleging that the collation process was fraudulent.
“We know that Asue Ighodalo won that election, and we have proof. We have submitted a petition to INEC to demonstrate that he won and to expose the fraud that occurred during the collation process. I was aware of that fraud, which is why I went to INEC that night,” Obaseki stated in the video.
A breakdown of the results showed that Okpebholo won in Esan West, Owan West, Egor, Akoko-Edo, Esan Central, Orhionmwon, Owan East, Etsako Central, Etsako West, Etsako East amd Oredo.
Ighodalo won in Igueben, Uhunmwonde, Esan South East, Esan North East, Ovia North East, Ovia South West and Ikpoba Okha.
The candidate of the Labour Party candidate, Olumide Akpata, who polled 22,763 votes, did not win any of the 18 local government areas of the state.
The state returning officer, Professor Faruq Adamu Kuta, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State, declared Okpebholo winner of the election Sunday evening.