Monday Okpebholo Sworn In As Edo State Governor, Orders Probe of Predecessor, Godwin Obaseki

Governor-elect Senator Monday Okpebholo and his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, have just been inaugurated as Governor and Deputy Governor of Edo State on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.

It follows their victory at the gubernatorial election on September 12, when they beat 12 other parties and candidates to be declared winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Okpebholo is the fifth democratically elected governor of Edo State.

The Chief Justice of the state, Daniel Okungbowa, administered the oath to the state’s number one and two citizens at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, the state capital.

When they took the oath of office, they both pledged to uphold the Constitution, work within its dictates, and ensure the well-being of the state’s people.

Supporters of the party at the stadium cheered throughout the oath-taking ceremony, marking the beginning of a new administration in the state.

How the Event Unfolded

To witness the event were stalwarts of Mr. Okpebholo’s party, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including Vice President Kashim Shettima, who led the federal government delegation.

Other governors elected on the APC platform, including Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Hope Uzodinma of Imo, and Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto, among others, graced the occasion. The National Chairperson of the APC, Umar Ganduje, and his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole, a senator from Edo, were also present at the ceremony.

Mr. Okpebholo, accompanied by his two daughters, took the oath of office and allegiance at 1:00 p.m., administered by the Chief Judge of Edo, Daniel Okungbowa. Earlier, Dennis Idahosa, accompanied by his wife, had mounted the podium to take the oath as the state’s deputy governor.

The governor later inspected the guard of honor and parade by the Nigeria Police officers. Following the ceremony, Mr. Okpebholo rode around the stadium in an open-top van, acknowledging supporters’ cheers.

Senator Monday Okpebholo won the September 21 off-cycle governorship election in Edo State as the candidate of the APC. He polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came second with 247,274 votes. Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, came third with 22,763 votes.

The inauguration marks the beginning of a new administration in Edo State under APC leadership, with high expectations from the electorate.

New Governor Orders Probe of Predecessor

The outgoing governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, was noticeably absent. Under normal circumstances, he should have been available for the ceremonial handover of the state’s instruments of governance to the new governor.

He complained earlier that the inauguration organizers did not invite him.

However, Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has ordered the setting up of a committee to investigate Godwin Obaseki’s immediate-past administration over its failure to inaugurate 14 Edo Assembly lawmakers-elect into the 7th Assembly.

Okpebholo made this known during his inaugural speech as the state’s new governor.

Governor Okpebholo also ordered the State Chief Judge to immediately investigate former Governor Obaseki’s initial delay in inaugurating duly cleared judges by the National Judicial Council (NJC) last year.

While details of the order are still sketchy, the situation underscores the toxic nature of the political power play in the state. It pitted Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who backed a different candidate in the September 21 election, Asue Ighodalo, against his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole, who backed now-Governor Okpebholo..

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