By Ayodele Oni
Saturday’s Primary Election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state, is becoming more interesting as two other aspirants are insisting they won the election.
This is coming as the national chairman of the APC Ganduje congratulated Dennis Idahosa for his victory at the election.
Idahosa, a serving member of the House of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa was declared winner of the shadow election by Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state, who is the chairman of the primary election committee, with 40, 448 votes.
Immediate past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, in a swift reaction to the controversial outcome of the primary election, assured his supporters that they won the exercise based on the authentic turnout of party members.
In a statement dated February 17, 2024, entitled: “Edo 2024 APC Primary,”, Agba wrote: “To my good people of Edo state and esteemed members of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, I want to thank you for your loyalty and support for my candidature.
“Unfortunately, what we have all witnessed in the APC party primaries in Edo State on Saturday February 17th, 2024 falls below the minimum standard of democratic elections that is universally acceptable.
“I believe strongly that thousands of loyal party members were disenfrachished. Based on the authentic turnout we clinched victory. The result so far announced is a ridicule and undermines the principles of democracy and fair play.
“The votes of the people did not count, the processes of election were compromised and the strength and unity of our party greatly undermined.
“On the eve of the primary election, there was a counter narrative that the Presidency had settled for Edo central and that Senator Monday Okpebholo had been endorsed for the party’s ticket.
The Okpebholo endorsement led to the withdrawal of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu from the race with a directive to his supporters to cast their votes for Senator Okpebholo.
Okpebholo had strongly supported Ize-Iyamu on the two occasions he contested for the gubernatorial election in 2016 and 2020 on the platforms of the PDP and the APC respectively.
But on Saturday, as Okpebholo was reportedly winning the primary election, the Chairman of the Primary Election Committee and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, announced Senator Oshiomhole-endorsed aspirant, Hon Dennis Idahosa as winner of the primary election with 40, 448 votes.
Uzondinma, a political ally of Oshiomhole, announced his version of the result while collation was still going on at the Collation Centre, where the Returning Officer, Dr Stanley Ugboaja, was superintending the process.
Ugboaja, at the end of the collation of results from the 18 local government areas, announced that Senator Okpebholo scored 12,194 votes to emerge winner of the election and to become the APC’s standard bearer in the scheduled September 21, 2024 governorship election.
The national publicity secretary of APC Felix Morka had earlier warned that on Governor Uzodinma has power to announce the result of the election.
“We wish to state categorically that only the Governor Hope Uzodinma-Led Edo State APC Governorship Primary Election Committee is duly authorized to undertake final collation and announcement of results of the Primary Election in the State.
“We urge all Party members, officials in the State, and the general public to disregard the said announcement of results by these unauthorized persons.”
Meanwhile, the national chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has congratulated the winner of the Edo state governorship primary election, Hon Dennis Idahosa.
Congratulating Idahosa in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, the national chairman urged the party’s flag bearer to carry all aspirants along to deliver the party at the September state governorship election.
Ganduje equally commended Governor Hope Uzodinma’s election committee, noting that its transparency in the conduct of the election was highly commendable.
The chairman then urged all aspirants to put aside their differences now that the primary election is over and join hands with the winner to deliver the party at the election
Ganduje said: “I want to congratulate the winner of the Edo State governorship election, I want to equally commend and appreciate Governor Hope Uzodinma’s election committee for their hard work and the transparent manner in which the primary election was conducted.”
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