By Ayodele Oni
Despite several allegations of irregularities and non-compliance with guidelines, the Edo State APC Governorship Primary, has produced a candidate.
A serving member of the House of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa, has been declared winner.
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state, who is the Chairman of the Primary Election Committee, declared Idahosa, who, he said, polled 40, 448 votes winner.
Two aspirants, out of the 12 vying for the party’s ticket, withdrew from the race allegedly in protest. They are Lucky Imasuen, a former Deputy Governor and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
A preliminary report as observed by seven Civil Society Organizations had observed a lack of awareness among party members about the process, a dearth of stakeholders meetings to inform party members, and the absence of the party voters register for aspirants who had made payments.
Party members openly expressed their confusion and ignorance about the primary’s procedures and guidelines.
“This knowledge gap resulted in a sense of disillusionment and frustration among the party faithful, who had expected a more inclusive and transparent election.
“Aspirants who had paid for access to the party voters register, as part of their preparations for the primary, faced an unexpected hurdle – the unavailability of the register. This setback impeded their ability to effectively engage with and mobilize potential voters within the party.
“The absence of the required voters register not only hindered the aspirants’ campaign strategies but also raised questions about the transparency and efficiency of the registration system within the party.”
When contacted on the alleged irregularities, the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka simply said “I don’t think that’s true; I have to come back to you.”
