APC declares Edo Governorship primary inconclusive, announces date for fresh poll

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared last Saturday’s Edo State governorship primary election inconclusive.

Politics Now reports that the exercise produced three factional governorship ‘candidates’ following violence and controversy that trailed the conduct of the exercise in Benin City last Saturday, with Hon. Dennis Idahosa, Senator Monday Okpebolo and Anamero Dekeri’s camps laying claims to victory at the primary election.

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and Chairman of the APC Gubernatorial Primary Election had declared Idahosa as the winner of the exercise, hence the party’s governorship candidate in the forthcoming September 21 Edo State governorship election.

Also, the State’s Returning Officer for the exercise, Stanley Ugboajah, declared Okpebholo as the APC flag-bearer while the Local Government Returning Officers, led by Ojo Babatunde, announced Dekeri as the winner of the primary election.

However, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka, disclosed in a terse statement after an emergency meeting of the NWC late Tuesday night that the party’s national leadership has now fixed Thursday, February 22, 2024, for the completion of the exercise.

“At its emergency meeting held today, Tuesday, February 20, 2024, to consider the report on the Edo State Governorship Primary Election, the National Working Committee (NWC) deliberated on the report and resolved that the Edo State Governorship Primary Election has not been completed, and has now fixed Thursday, February 22, 2024, for the completion of the Primary Election Process,” he stated.