FOLLOWING Sunday’s official declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that Governor Adams Oshiomhole won Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Edo State, President Goodluck Jonathan’s office promptly issued his congratulatory message to the governor over his re-election into his second term in office.
This was contained in a press release from the president’s office on Sunday morning, signed by the chief media adviser to the president, Dr. Reuben Abati.
“President Goodluck Jonathan congratulates Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State on his re-election yesterday for another term in office,” read Sunday’s press release from the presidency, in which the president also congratulated INEC and Nigeria’s security agencies for what the president described as a successful conduct of the elections, saying that it was in line with its commitment to “strengthening democracy in Nigeria through the establishment of a more credible electoral system.”
Wishing the governor a successful second term in office, President Jonathan also encouraged Governor Oshiomhole to “receive the fresh mandate given to him yesterday by the people of Edo State as an endorsement of his outstanding performance in his first term and an expression of their desire for a continuation of his focused, purposeful and dynamic leadership.”
Collated votes from the 18 local government areas in Edo State by INEC showed that Mr. Oshiomhole roundly trounced his closest rival, retired Major General Charles Airhiavbere of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, polling a massive 477,478 votes against Airhavbere’s 144,255 votes.
Although Saturday’s election exercise in Edo was mostly peaceful, leaders complained about delays with regards the supply of voting materials in many places. Also at issue was the case with the missing names of thousands of voters who could not be accredited for the voting process.
There was also the sad incidence concerning two inspectors, a constable and an Independent National Electoral Commission ad hoc official, who lost their lives in a boat mishap as they transported election materials to Ologbo community in the state.
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olufemi Adenaike, confirmed the development in an SMS to our correspondent, Comfort Oseghale.
“Two inspectors and one constable died; two policemen and one prison official survived. One INEC official also died. Only the body of an inspector has been recovered,” the text read.