The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday said its victory in the just-concluded local government elections, in which it secured 2, 158, 600 votes to win all 18 chairmanship seats and 192 councillorship positions, was a clear expression of the confidence reposed in the party by the people of the state.
It added that it was a strong endorsement of the leadership of Governor Monday Okpebholo and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The state APC chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, who stated this while addressing journalists in Benin City after the election, described the outcome as historic, saying the overwhelming mandate reflected the people’s trust in the administration of Governor Okpebholo.
He added that the result further strengthened the party’s resolve to deliver 2.5million votes for President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Tenebe recalled that despite being in opposition during the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki, the APC remained committed to the democratic process and participated in local government elections under difficult circumstances.
He said the party won several councils but alleged that the will of the people was subverted through the swearing-in of preferred candidates by the then administration.
He said those who boycotted the latest local government election or refused to participate in the democratic process lacked the moral authority to question the outcome, insisting that the electorate freely gave the APC an overwhelming mandate across the 18 local government areas.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) on Monday presented Certificates of Return to the 18 newly elected local government chairmen at its headquarters in Benin City.
Presenting the certificates, EDSIEC Chairman, Jonathan Aifubakhian, urged the elected officials to justify the confidence reposed in them by the electorate through purposeful and people-oriented leadership.
One of the newly elected chairmen, Eribo, who spoke shortly after receiving his Certificate of Return, described Saturday’s council poll as the freest conducted by the electoral commission and commended EDSIEC for conducting what he called a credible election.
“I feel extremely happy and I want to commend the Chairman of EDSIEC, Jonathan Aifubakhian, for delivering a credible and free local government election. The turnout was so huge that you would think it was a national election,” Eribo said.
He also called on Edo voters to sustain their support for the APC by turning out massively to vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, a position that aligns with the party’s pledge, as reiterated by APC Chairman Jarrett Tenebe, to deliver 2.5 million votes for the president in the next general election.
