Former President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the All Progressives Congress(APC) and the party’s governor-elect in Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, following “this prized, historic electoral victory.”
Buhari expressed hope that both the leaders of the incoming administration and of the parties that lost will work together to strengthen democracy and maintain the trajectory of the state’s development.
“Congratulations to the APC and the election winner, Senator Monday Okpebholo on the historic electoral victory, and my warmest wishes for a new lease of life for Edo State and its people.
“I very much hope the winners and the losers will work together to strengthen democracy and maintain the trajectory of development in the state.
“I commend the law enforcement agencies for the efforts that they put into ensuring a peaceful election, and the multitude of election officials who strive to improve with each election.
“I pray that the Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country, will continue to achieve remarkable progress under democracy,” he said.
Thefrontrank reports that the INEC Returning Officer, Professor Faruk Adamu, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, had on Sunday evening declared Okpebholo winner of the Saturday’s election having secured a total of 291,667 votes.
His closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), garnered 247,655 votes.
Olumide Akpata, representing the Labour Party (LP), finished third, receiving a total of 22,763 votes.
