Gov. Godwin Obaseki brushes off powerful APC forces and wins Edo 2020 governorship battle to retain power for another term.

Edo State voters yesterday handed Nigeria’s Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) a victory that gives it total control of South South region.

PDP candiate, Gov. Godwin Obaseki, overpowered All Progressives Congress(APC) challenger, Osaze Ize-Iyamu, with 84,336 votes to win the governorship contest.

Election umpire, Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, today 20 September 2020 announced Obaseki winner with 307,955 votes to Ize-Iyamu 223,619.

Voting took place yesterday, under watchful eyes of 31,000 policemen, in addition to thousands of plainclothes securitymen and soldiers.

It was a bitterly-fought election with surprise switch of two major party candidates who battled from opposite parties in 2016.

Obaseki was the APC candidate in the 2016 contest who defeated then PDP candidate Ize-Iyamu in the governorship election.

The Governor lost favour with his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole, who as party chair retaliated by denying Obaseki a second-term ticket.

Obaseki subsequently visited President Muhammadu Buhari to explain his predicament, and thereafter defected to opposition PDP to become its candidate.

Meanwhile, PDP’s 2015 candidate, Ize-Iyamu, was welcomed to the APC and assisted to outmanoever the Governor and become APC’s candidate.

Ize-Iyamu’s bid was powered by the duo of Lagos strongman, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as party chair, Adams Oshiomhole.

PDP wins South South Battle

Obaseki’s victory consolidates PDP’s hold on all South South states – Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers.

It’s however uncertain whether this regional dominance will endure, given that the Bayelsa Governorship election result remains a toss up.

Unlike Edo, Bayelsa is a richer oil State that the APC ruling party won convincingly in 2019.

APC exploited a quarrel between former President Goodluck Jonathan and immediate past Governor Seriake Dickson to wrest control from PDP.

The courts voided APC’s victory based on a technicality, a ruling that allowed PDP candidate, Duoye Diri to become Governor.

Political analysts will turn their attention to Bayelsa to watch APC’s next moves to restore the victory of its candidate.

Both parties now turn to Ondo, another battleground state, to continue the struggle for dominance, ahead of 2023 general elections.

Slug: Gov. Godwin Obaseki wins 2020 Edo Governorship battle

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