Godwin Obaseki emerges victorious in Edo gubernatorial election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has announced Godwin Obaseki, flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the Edo State gubernatorial election.

Obaseki polled 319,483 votes as against 253,173 polled by his major opponent, the Peoples Democratic Party’s Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

The returning officer, Professor Kayode Soremekun made the announcement after the collation of results from the 18 Local Government Areas. He made the announcement amid protests from PDP representatives within and outside the auditorium where the announcement was made.

When asked to sign the complete result sheet which contained results drawn from all the local government areas in the state, the PDP representative refused to sign the document.

PDP supporters stormed the premises of INEC office along Aduwawa road,  Ikpoba Okha local government area where results were announced chanting antic-protest and solidarity songs.

Earlier in the morning, before the result of the last local government was announced, Osagie Ize-Iyamu the candidate of the PDP denounced the results and called for cancellation of the election and a rerun.

The election saw a low turnout as the average local government saw only 35 per cent of registered voters showing up for accreditation. The lowest turnout of 27% of registered voters was recorded in Oredo Local government which also houses most of the government apparatus of the capital city, Benin. On the other hand, 50 percent of registered voters in Etsako local government reported for accreditation, this was the highest among the 18 local governments which make up Edo State.
Between 1993 and 1995 he worked in New York as a principal of Equatorial Finance Co, a Financial Advisory firm with a focus on Africa and providing Structured Trade Finance for African related transactions through credit, financial advisory and risk insurance.Godwin Obaseki began his career over 30 years ago. His professional career spans Investment Banking, Asset Management, Securities Trading and the Public Sector. He started out in 1983 with Capital Trust Brokers Limited Lagos as a stockbroker . In 1988 he joined AVC Funds Limited, Lagos where he served as a Project Manager and led the core team that set up two of the new generation banks which eventually reshaped the face of the banking industry in Nigeria.

He Founded Afrinvest West Africa Limited (formerly Securities Transactions & Trust Company Limited (SecTrust)) in 1995 as the pioneer Managing Director.