President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, for winning Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

Tinubu urged Okpebholo not to gloat over his victory at the just-concluded governorship election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer, Prof. Faruk Kuta, declared Okpebholo the governorship election winner while announcing the results in Benin, the Edo State capital, on Sunday, September 22, 2024.

Okpebholo won the election with 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 247,274 votes.

The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Olumide Akpata, came a distant third with 22,361 votes.

Congratulating Okpebholo via a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu enjoined the governor-elect not to gloat over his victory “but to see it as a challenging call to service”.

APC’s Okpebholo wins Edo governorship election

Tinubu also urged Okpebholo to demonstrate magnanimity by reaching out to his political rivals and uniting the people of Edo State to ensure the development of the state.

The president also commended other candidates who participated in the election for their contributions to advancing Nigeria’s democracy, saying peaceful political contests, such as the one on Saturday, portray Nigeria as a stable democracy.

He further urged all those aggrieved by the election outcome to seek redress through the legal channels.

Tinubu commended APC national leaders, Edo State leaders, and party governors for working hard to achieve victory just as he lauded the people of Edo State for their orderly and peaceful conduct during the election, “underscoring the maturing of Nigeria’s democracy after 25 years”.

Tinubu added: “I commend the INEC and our security agencies for working round the clock to conduct a successful, peaceful and largely hitch-free exercise.

“INEC has once again demonstrated that it is committed to organising a free and fair election in our country.”

The Star