The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Monday Okpebholo has taken the lead in the Edo State governorship election.

Okpebholo has over 48,000 more votes ahead of his closest rival Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Of the 16 local government area results declared so far at the INEC Collation Centre in Benin City on Sunday, Okpebholo who represents Edo Central in the Senate, has won 10. He has 244, 549 votes as against Ighodalo’s 195, 954.

The PDP candidate has won six of the local government councils declared so far. Labour Party (LP)’s Olumide Akpata is in a distant third with just 13, 346 votes.

After the declaration of results from the 16 local government areas, the INEC Collation Centre went on break. The Returning Officer for the election, Faruk Adamu Kuta, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, called for the recess around 2:19 pm.

He said the break is to allow for the arrival of results from two more local government areas. The centre will reopen by 5 pm when the winner of the governorship election is expected to be announced.

The collation centre opened some minutes before noon in Benin City, hours after the election took place in the South-South state.

‘Worst Elections in History’

Already, the PDP is protesting the results and had earlier held a press conference where it claimed the election was marked with irregularities. The briefing was organised by the party’s campaign organisation for the poll and led by Governor Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State.

At the event, Ighodalo alleged that the exercise was marred with inconsistencies and fears the election may go down as the “worst” in the country’s history.

“From our perspective, the way these elections are going, they’re probably going to be the worst elections in the history of this country,” the PDP flagbearer said.

Members of the party are also demonstrating in Benin City, saying the results being collated are not in tandem with the wishes of the people.

APC Flays Obaseki

But the APC earlier called for caution, asking Nigerians to wait for official results from INEC.

“Consistent with the Electoral Act, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the sole authorised body empowered to collate results at the ward, local government, and state levels, and to officially declare the result of the election,” the party said late Saturday.

“We urge members of the public to disregard this attempted misrepresentation and await INEC’s final verdict on the election.”

It also accused incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki of attempting to subvert the electoral process after the latter visited INEC’s collation centre.