Candidate of the Labour Party, LP has been declared the senator-elect for Edo South senatorial district of Edo State, a development considered a political feat by a relatively unknown party. Neda Imasuen, a lawyer, and LP candidate, defeated candidates of the two dominant parties, the All Progressives Congress, (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Announcing the results in the early hours of Monday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer, Professor Julius Obasuyi said Imasuen polled 167,250 votes while his closest rival, Mathhew Iduoriyekemwen of the PDP, garnered 61,749 votes, with Valentine Asuen of the ruling APC taking the third position with 57,933 votes. Immediate past Edo State governor and former national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, had on Sunday emerged winner of the Edo North senatorial district election. He defeated incumbent senator, Francis Alimikhena of the PDP with 107,110 votes to 55,344 votes, according to INEC’s returning officer, Benjamin Adesina, who declared the results in Auchi, headquarters of the senatorial district. With the APC’s Monday Okpebholo clinching the seat for Edo Central Senatorial District, the PDP completely lost out in the power game in the state as, for the first time since 1999, it lost its erstwhile traditional strongholds. Okpebholo, who scored 41,334 votes, defeated the LP with 32,574 votes, and the PDP with 25, 225 votes. With the announced results for the Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency, the Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Peter Akpatason Akpatason, of the APC returns to the green chamber for a record fourth term. Akpatasson who scored a total of 14,982 votes, dusted his closes rival, Kabiru Adjoto of the PDP who polled 9,293 votes while Labour Party scored 7,993. It was another humbling experience for Omosede Gabriella Igbinedion, daughter of multi-millionaire business mogul, and Esama of Benin Kingdom, Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, whose attempt to return to the House of Representatives to represent the Ovia Federal Constituency, after a one-term stint in the 9th Assembly, kissed the dust as she lost to arch rival and incumbent member, Dennis Idahosa. Idahosa, who by this victory has secured a seat for a second term, had also stopped Igbinedion in 2019. Declaring the results at Iguobazuwa which is the headquarters of the federal constituency, the returning Officer, Professor Nosakhare Ekhosuehi said Idahosa scored 19,851 votes against Igbinedion’s 18, 396 votes, while the Labour Party candidate, Dr. Osayuki Ekpelle Asemota, polled 17,608. Unlike popular music artiste, Olubankole Wellington (Banky W), who lost his bid to represent Eti-Osa federal constituency of Lagos State, Odianosen Okojie, husband of celebrated Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson-Okojie, has booked a seat in the House of Representatives to represent Esan South-East/Esan North East Federal Constituency. He was announced winner with 21,764 votes, defeating the candidates of the PDP and LP who scored 10,007 and 11,528 votes respectively. The APC also won the Etsako Federal Constituency where its candidate, Dekery Anamero with 58,692 votes against to Andy Momodu of the PDP’s 25,132. Reacting to his victory, Imasuen, in a press statement, while thanking the people of Edo South, appealed to them to ensure they vote for the candidates of the LP in the March 11 state House of Assembly election. He said “Thank you for your belief in me and my party. We have campaigned for the past five months, and we have seen firsthand what bad governance has done to our society with, poverty and insecurity staring at us in the face. But I also saw that our people were seeking a government that would bring them comfort; the Labour Party is that party. “As a party, we knew the people were with us and that we would win. And we were also certain that the other parties would use violence or whatever vice they could concoct to subvert the will of the people. We saw pockets of this in Oredo here in Edo State, and on a large scale in Lagos and Rivers”.
