Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State
The Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) has announced that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the polls conducted last Saturday across the 18 local councils.
Ten political parties, excluding the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), participated in the election.Results declared by Chairman of EDSIEC, Prof. Stanley Orobator, showed that the APC defeated the nine other political parties that participated in the election with a wide margin.
Orobator said the Certificate of Return would be presented to the winners tomorrow even as he commended conduct of the polls.A chieftain of the APC in Esan North East, Mr. Joe Okojie, described the outcome of the election as a death knell of the PDP in the state.
Okojie said the PDP willingly opted out of the polls because it did not want to expose itself to its national officers that the party is depleted.Meanwhile, Governor Godwin Obaseki has said that the new helmsmen will deepen his brand of strategic leadership at the 18 local councils to ensure that those at the grassroots enjoy results-oriented governance.
Obaseki, who spoke during a thanksgiving service at the St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Airport Road, Benin City, yesterday, said that the ‘wake and see’ phenomenon of leadership would now be felt at the grassroots across the state.He said the APC would introduce the same quality of service he is pioneering at the state level in the local councils through the new chairmen and councillors.
“That is why our party, the APC, decided to field candidates we know are very credible and are people with experience to take charge of the affairs of our local councils. “So, we are quite excited and happy, and assure the people of Edo State that the new heads at the local councils will render services to the people that will surpass what they have seen before.
“We will want to deepen the ‘Wake and See’ concept of programme execution. We want to make sure that the same spirit gets to the local councils,” he added.However, the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Edwin Omorogbe, commended the state government for organising the elections to enable the people choose those to lead them at the local councils.
He expressed appreciation to the governor for spearheading the campaign against human trafficking and illegal migration, noting that the church was worried about the trend and was committed to ensuring that the incidence is brought to a halt.
