Monday Okpebholo has thanked the Edo people for electing him as governor and promised to bring the South-South state to an enviable height when he assumes office.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Sunday, declared Okpebholo, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, as the winner of the keenly contested election.
He polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party, who secured 247,274 and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party, who came a distant third with 22,761 votes.
To emerge victorious, Okpebholo won 11 of the 18 local councils of the state but one of the three senatorial districts. He was dominant in Edo North where Senator Adams Oshiomhole hails from but lost his Edo Central and Edo South narrowly to Ighodalo, who is also from Edo Central.
In Edo North, the APC candidate polled 130,684 votes compared to PDP’s 76,959 votes and LP’s 5,987.
In Edo Central it was APC (48,895); PDP (54,813) and LP (1,546). And in Edo South, it was Okpebholo (112,088 votes); Ighodalo (115,502) and Akpata (15,230).
The 11 LGAs that Okpebholo won including Governor Godwin Obaseki’s Orhionmwon are Etsako West, Etsako East, Akofo Edo, Owan East, Owan West, Etsako Central, Esan West, Esan North-East, Esan central, Egor, and Oredo.
Ighodalo prevailed in seven LGAs, namely Esan North-East, Esan South-East, Igueben, Ovia North-East, Ovia South-West, Uhunwonde and Ikpoba-Okha.
Addressing reporters on Sunday evening after he was declared winner of last Saturday’s governorship election, Okpebholo appreciated the people of the state for choosing the right person to govern them for the next four years.
He also vowed to continue from where the former governor Adams Oshiomhole stopped and would replicate what Senate President Godswill Akpabio did in Akwa Ibom State.
Okpebholo said, “I am very happy, and I thank the Edo people for choosing the right person to do the job. Look, the new Edo is rising. I am here to develop Edo. I want to transform Edo the way it should be.
“I want to tell you that I am starting from where Adams Oshiomhole stopped. I also want to let you also know that I would like to imitate what Akpabio has done in Akwa Ibom State. Edo has received a new transformation. By the grace of God, Edo is back again.”
For me, it is a personal fulfilment — Oshiomhole
In his remarks, Senator Adams Oshiomhole said Edo State said the outcome of the election is a personal fulfilment adding that the governor-elect will now be governed by a combination of rich native wisdom.
He said: “Everything and anything that God cannot do, does not exist and that is when ordinary men think they have power, those with wisdom know that power resides with God; and only those who wield it on planet earth, wield with wisdom.
First, we give thanks to God that we did all those campaigns without causalities and without allegations that the candidate or anyone of us visited violence on anyone even when they killed his bodyguard to frighten him. My son whom I am pleased in will not be frightened.
So, tonight (yesterday night) it can only be joy and I give all the praises to God that he has made his son, who He has chosen to clean the mess of the Obaseki administration.
Edo will now be governed by a combination of native wisdom because the governor-elect is familiar with the customs and traditions of Edo State.
“For me, it is a personal fulfilment and to God be the glory.”