Jubilations and protest as Godwin Obaseki is declared governor-elect.

• Ize-Iyamu, PDP reject result, allege irregularities
• Buhari, Saraki, Tinubu, others hail victory.

EDO  GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION  RESULT
LGA	APC	PDP
Akoko-Edo	24,545	13,027
Esan N’East	9,130	16,220
Esan S’East	9,554	11,466
Esan West	13,114	16,311
Egor	26,117	19,514
Etsako Central	10,373	8,827
Etsako East	18,078	12,552
Etsako West	29,119	10,843
Igueben	7,802	7,560
Ikpoba-Okha	33,469	26,096
Oredo	37,612	30,492
Orhionmwon	15,262	16,446
Ovia N’East	17,561	13,141
Owan East	21,233	12,843
Owan West	12,862	10,132
Uhunmwonde	10,911	8,667
Ovia S’West	12,820	8,810
Total	319,483	253,173

It was a mixture of celebrations and protests in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, yesterday when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of Wednesday’s governorship election in the state and governor-elect.

According to INEC, Obaseki polled a total of 319,483 votes to beat his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who garnered 253,173 votes.

Obaseki won 13 out of the 18 local government areas in Edo State, thus satisfying the constitutional requirement of securing 25 per cent of the votes cast in two-thirds of the local governments in the state.

Confirming the outcome of the election, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, INEC’s Chief Returning Officer for the election, said Obaseki had satisfied the requirements by scoring the highest number of votes.

At the INEC state headquarters in Benin City, supporters of the APC celebrated the announcement and drove around some streets in the capital city waving the APC flag and chanting songs.

However, the agent of the PDP refused to sign the result, claiming that he had received instruction from his party not to sign the result.

Agents of other political parties, who also protested the outcome of the election and called for its cancellation, however, appended their signatures on the result sheet.

Obaseki Vows to Keep Campaign Promises

In his acceptance speech, the governor-elect assured residents of Edo State that all the campaign promises he made on the stump would be fulfilled irrespective of party affiliations.

He said: “My good people of Edo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the results of the 2016 Edo State gubernatorial poll, and I have been declared as the winner of the election.

“It is with great humility and abiding faith in God Almighty that I accept this pronouncement of my victory as the next governor of Edo State. This is a historic victory for all Edo citizens and our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). It underscores clearly your preference for the continuity and consolidation of our programmes.

“More importantly, by your votes you clearly affirmed your faith in my ability to take our state forward into a new era. This is a responsibility Philip Shaibu, my running mate, and myself do not take lightly.

“Our promise is to build a state anchored on a productive economy that will transform and empower our citizens is sincere.

“We promised jobs. We promised empowerment of our citizens. We promised improved social welfare services, and a more secure state. We will strive to deliver on all of these promises.

“As we travelled all over our great state selling our programmes, we also took note of your concerns and problems, and I want to assure you that we will do everything in our power to address them.”

He also saluted the courage of all those who came out to exercise their franchise in spite of the seeming intimidation of those he described as “merchants of violence” to derail the conduct of a free, fair and peaceful election.

He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his profound commitment to a new order in Nigeria; the Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, for his vision and single-minded focus on the progress and development of the state; members of his campaign team, led by the Director-General, Osarodion Ogie; his wife, Betsy; and his entire family, friends, volunteers and all supporters who worked tirelessly to help him to achieve victory at the poll.

Oshiomhole: We’ve Humbled Ikimi, Igbinedion, Others

In his reaction, Oshiomhole could not resist the temptation to gloat, proclaiming that the victory of his would-be successor had humbled Chief Tom Ikimi, the Esama of Benin and father of his predecessor, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion; and Chief Raymond Dokpesi of the PDP, adding that Chief Tony Anenih narrowly escaped defeat.

He said the APC was committed to dismantling the rigging machinery of those he termed political godfathers in the state.

Oshiomhole, who noted that Edo was the only state where an election had been held recently and not a single life was lost, said the victory had concluded the chapter in the struggle to end godfatherism in the state.

Speaking to newsmen after the announcement of the results, Oshiomhole, who was flanked by leaders of the APC, said the election was the final death knell for political godfathers who have held the people hostage since 1999.

“Over the last eight years, we have tried to orientate our people not just the voters but politicians that the season of election rigging where one or two godfathers write the results is over and we were committed to dismantling the rigging machine.

“In 2012 with all the godfathers on one side and new forces of change on my side, I won in all the 18 local government areas. Our people have spoken loud and clear that they believe in democracy, they just don’t want to be beneficiaries, they want to be the drivers of the process.

“This was showed by the way they conducted themselves on Election Day. It is outstanding and remarkable that tense as the election was with all the predictions, the APC won decisively in 13 out of the 18 local government areas. Those who were loudest in making noise have been revealed where they stand in relation to Edo people.

“We have humbled Chief Tom Ikimi even in the local government he claimed to have created. We defeated Chief Raymond Dokpesi in his polling unit, his ward and his local government. That reassures that the ruthless deployment of media machinery is not enough to distort the will of Edo people to determine their choice.

“In Okada, the political family that has boasted that they will continue to govern this state and even compelled the state to adopt them as the Queen of England whose birthday must be celebrated. In Okada, the APC was the preferred party by the people than that family in Okada.

“There is something unique in the way things have turned out. In Esan land, the senatorial zone of the PDP godfather, we won two out of the five local government areas. We gave him a fight that he managed to escape. He used the factor of his age to play on the emotions of the people.

“It is a victory for the people of the state. Edo people are now proud they can determine who will rule them and no one godfather can choose a leader for them. When you look at the propaganda, you will think we have fallen for the lion,” he stated.

PDP, Ize-Iyamu Protest, Reject Result

However, in the PDP camp, the mood was markedly different as supporters of the party, sensing that the election had been lost, attempted to barricade the roads leading to INEC’s office in Benin to prevent the commission from declaring the result.

But in order to forestall a breakdown of law and order, security personnel were forced to fire teargas and many gunshots into the air to scare away the protesters from the vicinity of INEC’s office.

In his reaction to the outcome of the election, Ize-Iyamu rejected it, saying the results from the local government areas were different from those collated at the polling units and declared at different wards.

Addressing a press conference yesterday at his residence in Benin City along with the Edo State PDP chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, while the results were still being announced, Ize Iyamu accused INEC of conniving with the Edo State governor and security agencies to declare fake results.