Following the declaration of Governor Godwin Obaseki as the winner of the Edo State guber elections which held yesterday, September 19, by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), his opponent and runner-up, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has conceded defeat.
Pastor Osagie took to his official Twitter handle to congratulate Obaseki.
Ize-Iyamu tweeted, “Edo people has decided, We thank you all! Congratulations to the Opposition party! They have won!! Election no be war. It’s time to work more harder for the next 4 years. Congratulations.”
Obaseki of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won the election after polling 307, 955 votes to defeat his nearest contender in the All Progressives Congress, Pastor Ize-Iyamu who polled 223, 619 votes.
It would be recalled that Ize-Iyamu contested on the platform of the PDP in 2016, however, he lost the elections to Obaseki of the APC.
Following Obaseki’s fall out with the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, he was denied the party’s ticket during the primary election. This prompted Obaseki’s defection to the PDP with the strong support of Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State.
Ize-Iyamu’s loss as the APC candidate makes it the second time for him to lose the polls on two different platforms (APC and PDP) in four years.
In a similar development, President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Obaseki on his re-election.
He also hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the smooth process that led to the emergence of Obaseki.
In a statement on Sunday by his Senior Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari said:
“President Buhari has commended the election process in Edo State which led to the victory of @GovernorObaseki as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“I have consistently advocated for free and fair elections in the country because it is the bedrock of true democratic order.
“Democracy will mean nothing if the votes of the people don’t count or if their mandate is fraudulently tampered with.
“He commended the people of Edo State, the parties, candidates and security agencies for conducting themselves responsibly.”
