The governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo has split the party into two factions with each producing its governorship candidate for the September 21 election.
Moment after House of Representatives member, Dennis Idahosa was declared winner of the primary by chairman of the Electoral Committee, Hope Uzodinma, the State Returning Officer for the same election, Dr. Stanley Ugbuaje, announced Senator Monday Okpepbholo as the APC candidate.
Prior to the Saturday primary election of the party to select its gubernatorial candidate among the 12 aspirants cleared to vie for the post, there has been palpable tension within the party as there were allegations and counter allegations that the immediate past governor of the state and former National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshimhole, who is also the leader of the party in the state as the senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, was bent on imposing Idahosa as the candidate of the party.
This was just as less than 24 hours to the primary, two frontline aspirants, Ehizuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, withdrew from the race in circumstances political pundits believed were informed by serious political undercurrents.
The tension in the Saturday primary which was conducted across the 192 wards in Edo appears to have now snowballed into a crisis.
Announcing the results earlier at the Protea Hotel in Benin, Governor Uzodimma said that Idahosa pulled a total votes of 4,483 to defeat his other aspirants.
He gave the break down of the results as follows. Dr. Blessing Agbomere (50 votes), Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (162 votes), Col. David Imuse (400 votes), Senator Monday Okpepbholo (200 votes).
Others are Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe (02 votes), Mr. Gideon Ikhine (700 votes), Hon Clem Agba (100 votes), and Mr. Lucky Imasuen (02 votes).
According to Uzodimma, the party’s primary election was free, fair and credible, adding that Hon. Dennis Idahosa was declared as winner having scored the highest lawful votes cast.
In a dramatic twist, however, the State Returning Officer, Dr. Stanley Ugboaje, who alleged that they were brutalised by thugs suspected to have been brought to the collation center by a certain aspirant, announced Monday Okpepbholo as winner of the primary at residence of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
He said Okpepholo scored 12,145 votes while Idahosa scored 5,536 votes to emerge second.
“I hereby certified that Monday Okpepholo, having scored the highest votes, is declared winner and duly returned as APC candidate for the election” Ugboaje said
Earlier, hoodlums suspected to be thugs stormed the result collation Lushville Hotel and Suite venue of the primary and disrupted the process.
Several journalists, including NTA camera man, FRCN and Arise reporters were said to have been manhandled while their equipment scattered.
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