Monday Okpebholo of the APC party won the just concluded Edo State governorship election by a close margin. Asue Ighodalo of the PDP came in second, but he’s vowed to seek redress in the tribunal over the outcome of the election result, even ignoring the hand of friendship Okpebholo extended to him.
Speaking on Channels Television, Asue Ighodalo expressed his disgruntled dissatisfaction over the results of the Edo gubernatorial election which was held on September 21, 2024. He felt cheated coming behind his APC running mate, probably because he had the backing of the incumbent governor of Edo state, Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Despite having the full support and sponsorship of the current governor, as well as the endorsement of Adams Oshiomhole for the governorship race, Asue Ighodalo still fell behind Monday Okpebholo with 247, 274 votes, and Okpebholo with 291,667 votes. The third running mate, Olumide Akpata of the Labor Party recorded a meager 22, 763 votes.
Fuming at the interview, Asue Ighodalo accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of conspiring with the opposition APC party to steal his rightful mandate from him.
He cited the failure of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in over 160 polling units, the gross shunning of proper collation procedures across the ward to state levels, the conspiracy between INEC, the police, and the APC party to sabotage the collective will of the Edo people.
Outrightly rejecting the hand of fellowship the soon-to-be sworn-in governor, Monday Okpebholo, extended to him, Asue Ighodalo said, “Because the mandate is stolen, there is no way you can accept these hands of fellowship or friendship.
“I will stay with the people of Edo State who fully gave me the mandate of their free will, and I will go into the courts and the tribunal to reclaim our mandate and then form the government.”
