Despite the palpable anxiety and the potential for unrest, the election unfolded with relative peace. Voters participated in the process, demonstrating their civic duty amid concerns about political antics and interference. While the election was not entirely free from the usual manoeuvring characteristic of political contests, it proceeded without the widespread violence that had been feared.

At the end of the exercise, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Monday Okpebholo, polled 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival and the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Asue Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes. The third force, the Labour Party, did not spring the much-expected surprise as its candidate, Olumide Akpata, managed to get a scanty 22,763 votes.

The election was keenly contested. It was initially a three-horse race, but it eventually ended in a two-horse contest. It was battle royale between the PDP and the APC. The contest was intense and fierce and a battle of supremacy between two titans, a former governor, Adams Oshiomhole and the incumbent. Godwin Obaseki.

There had been agitation over zoning as the Edo Central desired to produce Obaseki’s successor at the Dennis Osadebe Government House in Benin City. Since the commencement of the democratic dispensation, Edo South has had their chances two times with Lucky Igbinedion and now Obaseki, both governing the state for 16 years. Edo North had its opportunity through the eight-year term of Oshiomhole. Edo Central had a brief stint at the Government House with Prof Oserheimen Osunbor between 2007 and 2008 before he was ousted by Oshiomhole through the courts.

The journey to Saturday’s election had a dint of suspense, fear and anxiety for all stakeholders and party leadership. All the major political parties, the PDP, APC and Labour Party, had issues with the primary elections that produced their candidates. The parties, however, sorted all the legal and internal encumbrances before the election, though with attendant consequences and bandwagon effects, with only the APC left with a mild scar.

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