Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has sent a congratulatory message to Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress candidate, following his victory in the Edo State gubernatorial election held on Saturday.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared him the winner after defeating his main challengers, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party.
The APC candidate polled 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo, who garnered 247,274 votes. Akpata of the LP finished a distant third with 22,763 votes.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, on Monday, Sanwo-Olu hailed the outcome as a “landslide victory” for the APC.
He described the result as a testament to the party’s continued dominance across Nigeria at various levels of government.
Sanwo-Olu also praised the people of Edo State for rejecting the ruling PDP and choosing the APC candidate, emphasising that their decision was a statement of intent.
“I congratulate Edo State APC governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for emerging victorious in Saturday’s gubernatorial election,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“The landslide victory of Senator Okpebholo and the ruling party showed that Edo people know what is right, and they have done what is right by sacking the PDP and voting for the APC.”
He urged the Governor-elect to ensure that his victory serves all citizens of Edo State, regardless of political, social, or ethnic affiliations, stating, “Make this victory count for all Edo people.”
Sanwo-Olu further expressed confidence that the APC administration in Edo would surpass the expectations of the electorate, ushering in what he described as a “breath of fresh air” for the state.
The Lagos State Governor also commended President Bola Tinubu for fostering a level playing field during the election and acknowledged the role of the INEC in conducting a fair and transparent process.