EDSIEC Declares APC Winner in All 18 Edo LGAs
By Arit Mbeh
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured a clean sweep in the Edo State local government election, winning all 18 chairmanship positions across the state’s local government areas.
The election, conducted on Saturday, July 11, 2026, by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC), was held to elect chairmen and councillors in the 18 local government areas. The exercise was monitored by security agencies, accredited observers and journalists.
Announcing the results, EDSIEC declared APC candidates winners in all 18 local government chairmanship contests, further strengthening the party’s control of grassroots governance in the state.
Governor Monday Okpebholo described the election as largely peaceful, commending voters and security agencies for ensuring a calm electoral process.
The poll marked the end of more than 16 months during which the state’s local government councils were administered by caretaker committees amid a prolonged political dispute between the APC-led state government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
However, the main opposition PDP did not participate in the election, having announced its boycott days before the poll. According to EDSIEC, a total of 12 other political parties contested the election.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Edo State PDP Chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, said the party declined to field candidates because it believed the electoral process was tainted by constitutional and legal irregularities.
Aziegbemi argued that the election followed the dissolution of democratically elected local government chairmen, vice-chairmen and councillors and their replacement with caretaker committees, a move he said contravened Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
He also criticised the state government for dissolving the previous EDSIEC leadership before the expiration of its tenure and alleged that the government ignored eight High Court judgments relating to the conduct of the election.
“A process founded on constitutional violations cannot produce a legitimate democratic outcome. We will not legitimise illegality,” Aziegbemi said.
He added that the Edo PDP would neither field candidates nor participate in the July 11, 2026, local government election, directing party leaders, members and supporters across the state to stay away from the exercise while pursuing legal and constitutional avenues to challenge the process.
