The official result was declared by the Returning Officer, Prof. Faruk Kuta, at the collation center in Benin City, the state capital, on Sunday. Kuta, who serves as the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, announced that Okpebholo received a total of 291,667 votes, outpacing Ighodalo’s 247,274 votes, while Akpata came third with 22,763 votes.
“Having satisfied the requirements of the law, Okpebholo is hereby declared the winner and duly elected as the governor of Edo State,” Kuta declared.
Edo State comprises 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs), and traditionally, Edo North has been an APC stronghold. In contrast, the PDP has enjoyed significant support in Edo Central and Edo South.
The breakdown of votes from key LGAs shows Okpebholo’s dominance in areas like Akoko Edo, Owan West, and Etsako West, while PDP secured major wins in LGAs such as Ikpoba-Okha, Esan West, and Ovia North-East. Despite strong competition, the APC candidate managed to hold a decisive lead overall, ensuring a significant victory for the party in the state.
