INEC’s returning officer Prof. Osayuki Oshodi at exactly 7:40 Am Nigerian time declared Adams Oshiomole winner of yesterday’s governorship election.
Votes counts from 18 local governments in Edo State shows that, Mr. Oshiomhole, the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), had garnered 477, 478 votes. His main rival, Major General Charles Airhiavbere (ret.) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scored 144,255 votes.
“It’s clear that the incumbent governor is going to win by a landslide,” said the INEC source.
Some analysts regarded the July 14 election as a final proof of the political irrelevance of Tony Anenih, former chair of the PDP’s board of trustees who paraded himself as a kingmaker in the state. Mr. Oshiomhole trounced his PDP rival, handpicked by Mr. Anenih, in both the candidate’s ward as well as that of Mr. Anenih.
President Goodluck Jonathan had campaigned in Benin City for the losing PDP candidate. The president had also ordered the deployment of thousands of soldiers to major towns in Edo State in a bid to intimidate voters and shore up the PDP candidate. However, the people of the state trooped out in large number to ensure that Mr. Oshiomhole’s victory could not be stolen.
Moments after the results were announced an aide to Governor Oshiomhole said the governor was grateful for the vigilance of the people to ensure that the voters triumphed over the PDP’s gimmicks. He added that the governor saw his victory as an indication that the people of Edo “have decisively rejected those who lie and kill for the sake of power.”
Olaitan Oyerinde, the governor’s private secretary and one of his closest aides, was murdered by assassins suspected to have been hired by PDP henchmen in the state.