The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Sen. Monday Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progessives Congress (APC) winner of the Saturday governorship election in Edo state.

But the PDP has protested the result, saying the figures in some  local government areas were manipulated. It said it had written to INEC to state its claim.

INEC’s Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Faruk Kuta, who is the Vice-Chancelleor, Federal University of Technology, Minna, announced the winner on Sunday in Benin after the collation of results from 18 local government areas in the state.

Kuta said Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 247,274 votes.

The candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr Olumide Akpata, came third with 22,763 votes.

Consequently, Kuta said “that Okpebholo Monday of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared winner and hereby returned elected.”

A breakdown of the results show that APC won in eleven local governments, while PDP won in seven areas.

Earlier, the agent of the PDP at the collation centre, Mr Osaigbovo Iyhoa, had demanded the suspension of the declaration of the results, alleging irregularities and rigging in many local government areas.

He said that the party had submitted a petition to the commission, urging the returning officer to suspend the process, pending the determination of issues raised.