The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo has been declared as the winner of Edo State gubernatorial election held on Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Prof. Faruq Adamu Kuta, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna who doubles as the Returning Officer of the election on Sunday, announced Monday Okpebholo at the INEC collation center in Benin City.
According to INEC – the electoral body, the APC’s candidate, Okpebholo, 54, secured 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 247,274 votes and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) who came a distant third in the race with 22,763 votes.
Beside being a governor-elect and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recently concluded Edo gubernatorial election, here are 14 things you probably do not know about Monday Okpebholo.
- Monday Okpebholo was born in Uromi, Edo State in 1970.
- He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics.
- He later pursued a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the same institution.
- He also obtained a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan.
- Okpebholo is married to Blessing Okpapi Ekpe and the marriage is blessed with two children.
- He is an active member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
- He is an entrepreneur with investments in hospitality, construction, oil and gas, and agriculture.
- He started his political career in 2003 in the House of Representatives, focusing on rural development and agricultural reform.
- Okpebholo contested for the Senatorial seat of Edo Central under the All Progressives Congress (APC) and was elected on 25 February 2023.
- On 13 June 2023, he was inaugurated into the 10th National Assembly as a Senator for Edo Central.
- In February 2024, he polled 12,433 votes in the Edo APC gubernatorial primary election, emerging as the candidate of the ruling party.
- He is a philanthropist through his foundation, providing scholarships and healthcare to underprivileged communities.