Lasun Alagbe
Pundits’ predictions that the battle between the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress in the current governorship election in Edo State would be tight is coming to pass as the candidates of both parties are competing zone for zone and unit for unit.
The aspect of the projections that has fallen flat like boxer Anthony Joshua in the hands of Daniel Dubois in their Wembley match is the Labour Party’s chances.
Many had thought its candidate in the election, Tayo Akpata, would give the duo a good fight and probably spring a surprise but he could not even deliver his ward.
Interestingly, Joshua’s and Akpata’s ill-fated bouts happened the same Saturday 21, 2024.
Jpshua was knocked out in the fifth round while Akpata was bundled out almost before the voting commenced.
According to results so far uploaded by the Independent Electoral Commission, so far, PDP’s Asue Ighodalo and APC’s Monday Okpebholo are fiercely in the race sharing the votes with brawns and wit.
Here are some of the competing figures (courtesy ‘Sunday Punch’:
At Ewohimi, Unit 11, Ward 1 in Esan South-East Local Government Area of the state, where PDP Ighodalo cast his ballot, he polled 200 votes, while APC Okpebholo had 45 votes.
However, the APC candidate floored his PDP counterpart at Unit 03, Ward 1, Uwessan in Esan Central Local Government Area of the state, where he (Okpebholo) cast his ballot. Okpebholo polled 102 votes, while both Ighodalo and the Labour Party candidate, Akpata, received one vote each.
The Edo APC leader, Oshiomhole, delivered his polling unit to the APC. At Iyamho, Ward 10, Unit 01 in Etsako West Local Government Area, where the former governor voted, the APC polled 403 votes, while the PDP and ADC each had one vote.
At Polling Unit 19, Ward 04 in the Oredo LGA where Obaseki cast his vote, the PDP polled 127 votes, APC had 35 votes, and LP got 11 votes.
Meanwhile, the LP candidate, Akpata, lost in his polling unit in Ward 6 of Oredo Local Government Area. He received only two votes, while the PDP polled 41 votes and the APC garnered 19.
Calculations by Sunday PUNCH from the results uploaded on INEC IREV late Saturday evening indicated that Okpebholo and Ighodalo are in a tight race for victory.
In wards 1, 2, 4 and 6, which had a total of 43 polling units in Igueben LG, Ighodalo led with 2,778 votes, while Okpebholo polled 2,189 votes. In three wards in Ovia North-East LG, Okpebholo polled a total of 1,824 votes, while Ighodalo had 1,745 votes.
In six wards with a total of 60 polling units in the Ikpoba/Okha LG, Ighodalo led with 3,412 votes, followed by Okpebholo, who polled 1,232 votes.
In two wards with a total of 20 polling units in Oredo LG, Ighodalo led with 879 votes, while Okpebholo secured 538 votes.
In five wards and a total of 44 polling units in the Uhunmwode LG, Okpebholo led with 2,574 votes, but Ighodalo polled 2,172 votes.
From figures calculated in 103 polling units in the Esan Central LG, the APC led with 8,132 votes, while the PDP trailed with 6,902.
Figures calculated from 24 polling units in Owan West LG showed that Ighodalo had 1,979 votes, while Okpebholo secured 2,493.
In Ovia South West LG, the PDP garnered 871, while the APC had 972 out of the figures calculated from 17 polling units.
Also, from 13 polling units in Etsako East LG, Okpebholo led with 2,421 votes, followed by Ighodalo who scored 968 votes.
Figures from five wards and 10 polling units each from Esan West LGA showed that Okpebholo polled 4,105 votes, Ighodalo had 3,264 votes and Akpata had 41 votes.
In 151 polling units in 11 wards in the Owan West LGA, Ighodalo led with 26,870 votes, Okpebholo had 11,211 and Akpata had 184 votes.
In five polling units in two wards in Egor LG, Ighodalo led with 385 votes, while Okpebholo had 313 votes.
As of 11pm on Saturday, the final results collation had yet to begin at the INEC state collation centre in Benin.
