In a ceremony held in Benin City, Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo was sworn in as the state’s new governor on Tuesday. Okpebholo, who ran as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, officially took the oath of office around 1 pm, marking the beginning of his tenure.
Okpebholo emerged victorious in the recent Edo State off-cycle governorship election on September 21, securing 291,667 votes to surpass his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 247,274 votes. Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP) followed with a distant third, receiving 22,763 votes.
The event also witnessed the swearing-in of Dennis Idahosa as the deputy governor of Edo State. Among those present were notable political figures, including Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, chairman of the Governors’ Forum, and Philip Shaibu, the reinstated deputy governor of Edo. Several other governors affiliated with the APC also attended, showing their support as Okpebholo assumed office.
After taking his oath, Governor Okpebholo acknowledged the crowd’s cheers as he toured the stadium in an open-top vehicle, warmly greeting his supporters in celebration of the occasion.