President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the Edo governorship election held on Saturday, saying his victory proved Nigerians’ love for the APC government.
Okpebholo, 54, secured 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 247,274 votes and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) who came a distant third in the race with 22,763 votes.
Fourteen other candidates contested the seat but got less than the three frontline candidates.
The president, in a statement released on Sunday by his Special Adviser Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, boasted that Nigerians appreciated APC progressive ideals, its economic reengineering programme and its commitment to improving the lives of Nigerians.
He urged Okpebholo not to gloat over his victory but to see it as a challenging call to service and also encouraged him to demonstrate magnanimity by reaching out to his political rivals and uniting the people of Edo State to ensure its development.
Tinubu praises other candidates who participated in the election for their contributions to advancing Nigeria’s democracy, saying peaceful political contests, such as the one on Saturday, portray Nigeria as a stable democracy.
The President, however, appealed to candidates not satisfied with outcome of the election to seek redress through the legal channels.
In addition, the president commends the people of Edo State for their orderly and peaceful conduct during the election, underscoring the maturing of Nigeria’s democracy after 25 years.
“I commend the INEC and our security agencies for working round the clock to conduct a successful, peaceful and largely hitch-free exercise.
“INEC has once again demonstrated that it is committed to organising a free and fair election in our country”, President Tinubu added.
Victory shows confidence in Tinubu’s government
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, also claimed that the victory of the APC candidate in the Edo State governorship election is a reflection of the confidence Nigerians have in President Bola Tinubu.
“I strongly believe that the election in Edo, though tense at the beginning, is a reflection of the confidence that Nigerians continue to express in President Tinubu,” Akpabio said while addressing the press after INEC declared Okpebholo winner of the election in Benin City.
Also, Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, has hailed the victory of the APC in last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State, describing it as a vote of confidence on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Senator Barau, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, said that the people’s say remains the most potent force in any democracy.
He also applauded the visionary leadership of the national chairman of the APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, which, according to him, has given the party more cohesion and ultimately led to the party’s victory in the election.
“The victory of our great party, the All Progressives Congress in last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State is well-deserved. I congratulate the governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo and all our supporters for this victory. It is not just a victory for the APC but for our democracy and the people of Edo State.
“This victory is a further expression of the confidence of the people of the state in the exemplary leadership and performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since his assumption of office in May last year.
“It is also a result of the visionary leadership of our national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who has made the party more cohesive and paved the way for its victory in this election,” he said.
Senator Barau, while calling on the governor-elect to be magnanimous in victory, urged all those who contested the elections but lost to lend their support in moving Edo State forward.
“I, therefore, implore my friend, the governor-elect, Senator Okpebholo, to be magnanimous in victory and equally call on all others who contested against him but lost to lend their hands of support in moving Edo State forward,” he said.