Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), has secured its first major electoral victory since President Bola Tinubu took office last year, despite the country’s challenging economic situation.
In the southern Edo state, previously controlled by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Monday Okpebholo emerged victorious, defeating the PDP’s Asue Ighodalo. Okpebholo garnered 291,667 votes, while Ighodalo received 247,274.
However, the PDP has raised allegations of electoral fraud and pledged to contest the outcome in court.
“The way these elections are going, they are probably going to be the worst elections in the history of this country,” Ighodalo remarked.
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), which observed the election, criticized both the PDP and APC for engaging in vote-buying and reported instances of election officials being intimidated in certain areas.
Although Edo state has historically been a stronghold for the PDP, the APC has controlled the state for several years, so the victory isn’t entirely unexpected. Nevertheless, given Nigeria’s severe economic difficulties, some analysts had speculated that the APC might face setbacks.
The nation is enduring its most severe economic crisis in a generation, with annual inflation soaring to 34%, the highest in nearly three decades. Food prices have surged even more sharply—yams, a staple, now cost almost four times as much in Lagos compared to a year ago.
Mass protests were held across the country last month in response to the economic hardships.
Political analyst Muzammil Yakasai commented to the BBC that election violence had deterred some people from voting. “I don’t think the election in itself is a reflection of how people in Edo state and Nigeria see the APC at the moment,” he said.
The APC faces another electoral test in November with the upcoming governorship election in Ondo state, located in the southwest.
Who is Monday Okpebholo?
Before his recent victory, Okpebholo served as the senator representing Edo Central at the National Assembly, a position he won last year. Born in 1970, Okpebholo holds a degree in Business Administration and a master’s degree in policy and leadership studies from the University of Abuja.
The 54-year-old is married with two children. Earlier this year, he was charged with allegedly falsifying the date on his birth certificate. Although he has not commented on the matter, the case is still pending in court. Now, as a governor, he enjoys immunity from prosecution.
