Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State contended on Monday that contrary to the outcry by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that the All Progressives Congress, (APC) stole the September 21, 2024, governorship election in the state, no mandate was stolen as confirmed by the results of last Saturday’s National Assembly (NASS) by-elections.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that the ruling APC picked the two NASS seats up for grabs – the Edo Central senatorial and Ovia Federal Constituency seats won by Dr. Joseph Ikpea and Gabriella Omosede Igbinedion respectively.
Speaking when Igbinedion, a lawyer and the House of Representatives member-elect, led by the deputy governor, Dennis Idahosa, paid him a thank-you visit, the governor noted that the election results showed that the APC won last year’s governorship election convincingly as the by-election results reflected the love Edo people have for the party.
Governor Okpebholo said he waited for the by-elections to know if his party truly stole any mandate, but the results of the election showed that the people freely voted for the APC and no mandate was stolen.
He said: “I am happy to receive you this morning. It is not surprising to me that you won because you have all the support of the Deputy Governor and the people of Ovia Federal Constituency.
“This by-election results show that Edo people have spoken. They cried that we stole their mandate. I waited for this election to really know if we actually stole their mandate.
“See the results that came from Edo Central by-election. They show that their mandate was never stolen at all as APC won 51 wards out of 51 wards. This shows that the people gave their mandate to APC. No mandate was stolen.
“The candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the past election, chairman of past election alongside the candidates in this present election, all lost their wards and units. This shows that the people never voted for them at all.
“This by-election is a reflection that Edo is APC and APC won the election as the election results show that PDP lost.
“Edo is APC, and we love President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and our promises of securing 2.5 million votes is a task that must be accomplished. We would not sleep but continue to work hard to achieve our goals.”
In his remarks, the deputy governor said he came to introduce his successor to the governor.
According to him, “There was a by-election at the Ovia Federal Constituency on Saturday, the 16th of August 2025, and a winner has emerged, and she will now be representing the people of Ovia.
“She is my successor, and I am here to present her to you today and also thank you for showing purposeful leadership, and the people of Ovia Federal Constituency have asked me to thank you.”
In appreciation, the National Assembly member-elect thanked the governor for his support, assuring Ovia people that she was well experienced and would represent them well.
She said: “The people should expect that I would hit the ground running. I am not new to the National Assembly and will bring my experience to bear as I embark on projects that will benefit my people.
“The vote we got in Ovia Federal Constituency was a combination of so many factors but one thing I must say is that the Ovia people recognised the hard work you have put in, not to the development of Ovia Federal Constituency alone, but to the state as a whole where the entire state is feeling your impact.
“Thank you for the platform given to me, and I will do my best to represent the people of Ovia well and will not let them down.”