4th September, 2023
By Jethro Ibileke
The Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benin City, on Monday affirmed the victory of the Leader of the House of Representatives, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, in the 25 February, 2023, National Assembly elections.
Ihonvbere contested for the Owan Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), against candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jimoh Ijegbai.
He defeated Ijegbai in 20 out of the 22 wards in the constituency with over 5,009 votes.
His victory was however contested by the PDP’s candidate.
But, the three-man election petition panel dismissed the petition filed by the PDP candidate on the ground that it was mere shadow chasing.
Ihonvbere is a Nigerian professor born in Oyo in the old Western Region on the 25th of June 1956 ( now age 67 years).
He is the lawmaker representing Owan Federal Constituency of Edo State and the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education.
Ihonvbere was the former Special Adviser on Project Monitoring and Implementation to Nigeria ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and He was two-time PDP governorship aspirant in Edo State, he lost his first governorship primaries in 2007 to former governor of the state, Prof. Osariemen Osunbor.