The incumbent governor Godwin Obaseki, of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), is leading in Saturday’s Edo State governorship election after recording over 250,345 votes in the ongoing collation exercise after results from over 13 local governments.
The governor’s opponent, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, of the All Progressives Congress has recorded about 154,192 votes.
Results from about 13 local government areas have been collated at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation exercise in Benin City, the state capital.
It worthy to note that Edo State has 18 LGAs and the election was held in all the local governments.
Mr Obaseki has won in 11 Council areas including his home Oredo LGA, the largest, while Mr Ize-Iyamu has only picked two, Owan East and Etsako West, Adam Oshiomole’s LGA.
Mr. Obaseki won his first election in 2016 as a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), principally supported by Comrade Oshiomole, the immediate past governor and former chairman of the APC.
But in the course of his term as the governor, Mr Obaseki, fell out with Mr Oshiomole, causing an epic political battle now being capped off with his expected victory today.
The battle contributed to the fall of Mr Oshiomole as the chairman of the APC.
But Mr. Obaseki also could not get that party’s ticket and he had to switch to the PDP with his deputy, Phillip Shaibu.
Others battling to survive the damaging punch from the election are Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, National Chairman of the Edo State Campaign Council for APC among others.
