NigeriaDecides: Patrick Obahiagbon Loses Senatorial Election To PDP’s Matthew Urhoghide

Edo State lawmaker, Patrick Obahiagbon has lost his re-election bid to the 9th assembly as Senator Matthew Urhoghide of the People’s Democratic Party got re-elected to represent Edo South Senatorial district in last Saturday’s election.  

Matthew Urhoghide polled 135,588 to defeat his All Progressives Congress opponent, Patrick Obahiagbon who scored 121,957.  

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer, Prof. Joseph Osemwenkha, who announced the result of the February 23 National Assembly election, in Benin on Tuesday, said the election was contested in seven local government areas that make up the district.

According to the returning officer, 8, 232 votes were cancelled at different units in Oredo, Ovia South West, Ovia North East and Uhunmwode local government areas due to irregularities.  

He, however, said that a winner must be declared because the total cancelled votes were less than the margin between the winner and the next contestant.

“The PDP is leading the next contestant with 13, 631 votes, so we must declare a winner. Urhoghide, having scored the highest number of votes and satisfied all the requirements in this election is hereby declared winner and returned as elected,” he said.  

The returning officer gave the total registered voters in the district as 1, 274, 485, total accredited voters as 291,548, valid votes as 266,109 and rejected votes as 18,457.

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