INEC has declared Mr. Dennis Idahosa, the All Progressives Congress candidate for the Ovia Federal Constituency, as the winner of the election into the House of Representatives seat.
Idahosa, a former Commissioner in Edo, polled 28,509 to defeat the incumbent Ms Omosede Igbinedion, daughter of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion and younger sister to the former Governor of the state, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, who scored 23, 345 votes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission Returning Officer, Prof. Victor Igbinedion of the University of Benin, announced the final result at Iguobazuwa, Ovia South West Local Government Area.
He said having polled the highest number of votes cast and certified all electoral conditions, Idahosa is returned elected as the winner of the Ovia Federal Constituency seat elections conducted on Saturday.
An elated Idahosa who dedicated the victory to God, noted that it was the “voice of the people against bad representation”.
He further said that the people of the constituency clearly showed, with their votes, that the mandate to liberate the federal constituency is sacrosanct.
Idahosa stressed that never again would one single individual decide who and what becomes what in the constituency.
While promising to entrench good representation, he promised to remain magnanimous in victory.
“It is in this light that I enjoin all the good people of Ovia, both those who supported me and those who worked against me, my opponents and the APC aspirants, with whom I contested the party’s ticket, to work with me for the betterment of the constituency.
“This election was not all about Dennis Idahosa, but the people, who have yearned for a better and effective representation this past years,” he said.
APC candidate won 18 of the 23 wards in the constituency, while the PDP candidate won five.
Further breakdown of the result showed that the APC candidate won in 9 of the 13 wards available in Ovia North East Local Government Area.
Similarly, his opponent, Omosede Igbinedion of the PDP, won four and one ward in Ovia North East and Ovia South West Local Government Areas.