February 17, (THEWILL) – The governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Edo State, on Saturday, ended in crisis as two aspirants were declared winners.
THEWILL reports that the APC on Saturday held a direct primary election across the 192 wards in the 18 local government areas of Edo state.
Nine aspirants contested the election after three aspirants including Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, former Deputy Governor Lucky Imasuen and former permanent secretary Earnest Afolabi Umakhihe, withdrew from the gubernatorial race.
However, there were two major contestants, a 43-year-old House of Representatives member representing Ovia Federal Constituency, Dennis Idahosa and the lawmaker representing Edo Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Monday Okpebholo.
Earlier, the APC had mandated a seven-man Gubernatorial Primary Election Committee chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma to supervise the direct primary election.
THEWILL reports that Uzodimma had earlier, at Protea Hotel, in Benin City, declared Dennis Idahosa as the winner of the election with 40,453 votes, while Senator Monday Okpebholo reportedly polled 100 votes.
This was after armed hoodlums invaded the Rushville Hotel collation Centre at the time the collation of results was ongoing by the various local government returning officers.
Several journalists, including an NTA cameraman and FRCN reporter, were manhandled and their equipment was vandalised.
However, Dr Ugbaja Stanley Uzoamaka, the State Returning Officer for the primary election, declared Senator Monday Okpebholo, as the winner of the primary election.
According to the returning officer, Okpebholo polled 12,145 votes to defeat Honourable Dennis Idahosa who scored 5,536 votes.
Uzoamaka said, that while a total of 42,381 delegates who were financial members of the party were vetted during the revalidation exercise, 29,881 delegates were accredited for the primary.
Speaking with newsmen, the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Peter Uwadia, described the decoration of Dennis Idahosa by Governor Hope Uzodinma as null and void and with no political effect.
Citing the party’s constitution, Uwadia said, Governor Uzodimma was just the chairman of the electoral committee and not the returning officer. He argued that the only person, who is constitutionally empowered to announce the results of the primary is the electoral officer and not the chairman of the committee.
He disclosed that five members of the party who were attacked and wounded are currently receiving treatment in undisclosed hospitals.
In his acceptance speech, Okpebholo, commended the delegates for the primary, noting that the exercise was peaceful across the 192 wards in the 18 local government areas before allegedly sponsored thugs, invaded the collation centre
Born 29th August in 1970 in Udomi-Uwesan, Irrua, Edo Central, Okpebholo whose name also coincides with his Okpebholo ancestry, was popularly nicknamed Akpakomisa from childhood because of his survival of the tough times occasioned by the numerous water borne disease at that time.
Born November 8, 1980, Idahosa, 43, from Iguobazuwa, in Ovia South West Local Government Area, is the CEO of Eagle Denco Company Limited; a company with interests in construction, mining and real estate.
As the youngest commissioner in Edo State under the then Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, Idahosa, who served as commissioner for Investment, Public and Private Partnership, donated all his salaries to the people of Ovia South West Constituency.
Idahosa is the preferred candidate of former APC National chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
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