Edo Governorship Election: APC Candidate Takes Lead as PDP Protests Irregularities

In the ongoing Edo State governorship election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, has taken the lead with over 48,000 more votes ahead of his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As of Sunday afternoon, Okpebholo had won 10 out of the 16 local government areas declared so far, with 244,549 votes compared to Ighodalo’s 195,954.

The PDP candidate has accused the election of being marred with irregularities and has vowed to protest the results. At a press conference earlier in the day, Ighodalo alleged that the exercise was inconsistent and feared that it may go down as the "worst" in the country’s history.

"We urge members of the public to disregard this attempted misrepresentation and await INEC’s final verdict on the election," the APC said in a statement, calling for caution and cautioning against fake results.

The INEC Collation Centre went on recess on Sunday afternoon, with the Returning Officer, Faruk Adamu Kuta, citing the need to receive results from two more local government areas. The centre is expected to reopen at 5 pm, when the winner of the governorship election is expected to be announced.

The situation has led to protests from PDP supporters, who stormed INEC headquarters in Benin City to demonstrate against the results. APC, on the other hand, has accused incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki of attempting to subvert the electoral process after the latter visited INEC’s collation centre.

The election is a closely watched contest in Nigeria, with both parties vying for control of the state government. As the results continue to trickle in, tensions are expected to remain high, with both parties seeking to assert their dominance in the state.