Edo State Election Results Announced by Electoral Commission

The Edo Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) has announced that candidates from the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the chairmanship election in all 18 local government areas of Edo State.

The election took place on Saturday, 11 July.

Jonathan Aifuobhokhan, the chairman of the commission, shared this information during a news conference on Sunday in Benin City.

Mr Aifuobhokhan also said that the APC secured all 192 councillorship seats in the election.

The chairman stated that the election was held smoothly across all 18 local government areas and 192 wards in the state.

He explained that the processes of accreditation, voting, sorting, counting, collation, and result declaration followed the Edo State Local Government Electoral Law 2022, which was amended in 2026.

"After completing the collation at the various ward and local government collation centers, the appointed returning officers announced and declared the results in their areas," he said.

"Based on the official results declared by the returning officers, the commission hereby declares that the All Progressives Congress won the 18 local government chairmanship positions and all the 192 councillorship seats contested in the election," he added.

Mr Aifuobhokhan expressed his happiness with how the returning officers performed, noting that they carried out their duties professionally and fairly.

He said the election was peaceful throughout the state, even with some "minor operational challenges in a few locations."

"Overall, the election was conducted peacefully across the state. While there were minor operational challenges in a few locations, these did not substantially affect the overall conduct or outcome of the election," he explained.

Mr Aifuobhokhan mentioned that the commission would work on improving future elections through regular reviews and talks with stakeholders.

He thanked Governor Monday Okpebholo for creating what he called an "enabling environment" for the commission to do its job.

The chairman also praised political parties, candidates, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society groups, community leaders, youth, women groups, and voters for their peaceful behavior during the election.

He thanked the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies for keeping the peace during the election.

Mr Aifuobhokhan recognized the efforts of the media, election observers, and EDSIEC staff, including electoral officers, returning officers, presiding officers, ICT personnel, and logistics teams, for their role in making the election successful.

He urged political leaders to collaborate for the benefit of community development and advised those unhappy with the results to seek solutions through legal means.

"Candidates or political parties who may have concerns regarding any aspect of the electoral process are encouraged to seek redress through lawful channels provided under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," he said.

The EDSIEC chairman congratulated the newly elected chairmen and councillors, asking them to view their victory as a call to serve selflessly, be accountable, and promote inclusive governance.

When asked by journalists, Mr Aifuobhokhan confirmed that certificates of return would be given to the elected chairmen and councillors on Monday.

Regarding the minor operational challenges during the election, he explained that they were mostly routine human errors that did not compromise the process's integrity.

"We are human. It is only God that does things without mistakes. There may have been delays in some places, such as people trying to find their names on the voters' register. We apologize if anyone was inconvenienced," he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that 12 political parties took part in the election.

NAN also remembers that major opposition parties, including the PDP, NDC, and ADC, did not participate in the poll.