Despite all manner of rigging witnessed during the Edo State governorship poll on Wednesday, Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been able to declare a winner: APC candidate Godwin Obaseki.
Returning officer Prof. Kayode Soremekun, vice chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Obaseki polled 319,483 votes to beat Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the PDP who polled 253,173.
Ize-Iyamu rejected the outcome of the election even before the start of collation. PDP members in the state have staged protests outside the office of INEC in Benin City. The party’s agent in the election refused to append his signature to the result, because his complaints about irregularities were ignored.
For his part, Obaseki has accepted victory and thanked his supporters.
The matter is likely to be contested in the courts.
