Oshiomhole Demolishes PDP in Edo State; Humbles Tony Annenih in his Hometown
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state overwhelmingly overpowered the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the much-debated Saturday Governorship election with profound lead in the over 75% of the results of the election unofficially made available to the public following the conclusion of vote count in polling units across the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is expected to officially announced the results at the collation centres late Saturday night as well as the eventual winner of the election at the INEC headquarters in Benin on Sunday. With the results so far, Oshiomhole, the former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) who fought a protracted legal battle to retrieve the mandate given to him in 2007 is set to be sworn in for a second term of four years.
Available results from across the state showed Oshiomhole’s ACN winning convincingly and in some isolated cases exceeding the expectations of bookmakers. For instance, Oshiomhole won 100% in his polling unit with 575 votes to 0 recorded by the PDP. While Oshiomhole reportedly defeated his PDP challenger in his polling unit, the PDP strongman in Edo state, Chief Tony Annenih was humbled in his home town by ACN’s electoral hurricane that swept across Edo state on Saturday. The available results so far indicate that Oshiomhole may end up winning over 75% of the votes by the time all the results are collated.
Already, the debate has begun as to whether or not the outcome of the election signifies the end of an era of political over-lordship in Edo state given the trouncing of the once dominant PDP in virtually all of its strongholds. Instructively, the era of Chief Tony Annehih’s political tenacity that earned the otherwise strongman of Edo politics the derogatory reputation of ‘Mr Fix It’ may have finally come to grief.
The final unofficial results available in Egor Local government shows the PDP posting a mere 3, 486 votes to ACN’s 60, 623. The total unofficial results (estimated 45% of all the results expected) from 18 local governments (namely; Akoko Edo, Egor, Esan Central, Esan North East, Esan Southwest, Esan West, Etsako Central, Etsako West, Etsako East, Igueben. Ikpoba Okha, Oredo, Orhionhwon, Ovia Northeast, Ovia Southwest, Owan East, Owan West, Uhunmwode) shows the ACN polling overwhelming 166, 829 votes as against PDP’s 37, 071 votes.
However, ahead of the official announcement of the results on Sunday by INEC, the people of Edo state have begun celebrations across the state. Jubilant ACN stalwarts were already in relishing the victory in the capital, Benin city by early Saturday night. There are indications that streets across Edo state would erupt in wild celebration by the INEC formerly announces Oshiomhole’s victory on Sunday.