Oshiomhole received the nod for his second term in office by polling 477,478 votes to beat his closest rival, Maj.-Gen Charles Airhiavbere (retd.) of the Peoples Democratic Party who garnered 144,235 votes in Saturday’s election in the State.
The residents defied the downpour and danced round the city in long convoy of vehicles. Many jubilant youths rode on top of cars and buses and held aloft brooms, the symbol of Oshiomhole’s Action Congress of Nigeria.
Some of the youth performed stunts and chanted “Oshio Baba,” and “Osho Baba,” continuously.
The re-elected governor later joined the crowd at the city centre to move round Ring Road, Sapele Road, Ogbelaka Street and Sakponba Road in the capital city.
Before 8 .30am, traffic had almost come to a halt within the city. Commercial motorcyclists, bus and taxi drivers, artisans and traders had all taken hold of brooms which they waved rhythmically as they danced round town.
Elated young men and women gave each other handshakes and shared drinks as they celebrated.
Before Oshimhole joined the celebration dance, the crowd had defied gun-toting security personnel to congregate at the gate of the governor’s residence.
Few minutes after the celebration kicked off, following gunshots within the Government Reservation Area to signal victory, rain began. But rather than bowing to the downpour, the jubilant crowd became more ecstatic. And more people—both the old and the young—joined the victory party.
“Our mumu don do. Comrade is back and better. Yes, I voted yesterday and I voted for the comrade governor. Edo is in good hands,” one of the celebrants, Omo Ojeifo, told one of our correspondents.
Addressing the supporters, Oshiomhole, who described his victory as a true reflection of people’s wish, said he would bring development to every part of the state.
He said, “God has blessed our project. It is finished. Now is the time to give thanks to God, that today, a Holy Sunday, the people of Edo State have spoken across Edo South, across Edo Central, across Edo North. Our people are united by a common desire to build a new Edo State; to consolidate on our projects and together to take Edo State to the next level.
“I thank you for standing on your feet. On our feet, we shall fight for freedom; we shall never go on our knees. You young ones must remember that this fight was and is for your tomorrow. It’s for your freedom, your right to choose who governs you. We must make a statement that election riggers are out of business. What we owe is to sustain the development programmes.”
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