After failing to clinch the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket in Saturday’s governorship primary, three aggrieved aspirants – Sunday Dekeri, Senator Monday Okpebholo and Prof Oserheimen Osunbor – have petitioned the Primary Election Appeal Committee.
The duo of Dekeri and Okpebholo insisted they won at the primary and therefore, should be issued the Certificate of Return (CoR). Osunbor said no election held.
The petitioners are to appear before the C. C Udenwa-led five-member panel today at venue yet-to-be disclosed.
The Primary Election Committee chaired by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma declared House of Representatives member Dennis Idahosa winner after polling 40,453 votes.
Okpebholo was returned winner by the Chief Returning Officer, Dr. Stanley Ugboaja and Dekeri was said to have been declared victorious by the local government returning officer, Mr. Ojo Babatunde.
On Monday, Dekeri dropped his petition in the office of the National Chairman at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.
In the petition letter, Dekeri, a member representing Etsako Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, claimed that he won the primary by 50 per cent of the votes from the 24,000 accredited members.
Osunbor, who submitted a two-page petition to the office of the party’s National Organising Secretary yesterday, reaffirmed his earlier call for the cancellation of the exercise, insisting that no shadow poll held in the state.
According to the professor of Law: “There was no primary election conducted anywhere in Edo state, and there is a video which has gone viral of me addressing people in my ward, at the designated ward, we were there, up until about three o’clock and soon after I left the place and went home, I saw somebody declaring result in my local government when there was nobody that came to my local government.”
In his petition, Okpebholo said he should be issued with a CoR, having emerged winner in the contest with over 12,000 votes from the 24,000 accredited voters.
In his letter, Okpebholo painted a picture of how the Elections Committee constituted by the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC, led by the Chief State Electoral Officer/Returning Officer, Dr. Stanley Ugboaja, successfully conducted the polls, where 12 aspirants competed.
The senator said: “My humble appeal to your respected Committee is to look at the facts that I have presented and affirm them as cogent, and verifiable, apply the relevant provisions of the law guiding our primary elections and uphold the result collated, signed and announced by issuing me the certificate of declaration as the winner of the 2024 Edo State governorship primary.”
Edo APC hails Idahosa’s choice
Members of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party yesterday hailed the victory of Idahosa as the APC candidate.
The SEC, through its Vice Chairman (Edo South Senatorial District), Benson Edosomwan, urged other aspirants and party faithful to support Idahosa to dislodge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on November 12.
Edosomwan said: “On behalf of members of the State Executive Committee of the APC in Edo State, we plead with all members of our party in the 192 wards, across the 18 local government areas of our state to stay calm, as the National Working Committee is working on the developments arising from the party’s governorship primary of Saturday, February 17, 2024.
“Notwithstanding, we want to congratulate the governorship candidate of our party, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, on his successful election during the primaries.
“As members of the SEC, we pledge our unwavering loyalty to the national leadership of the APC. We pledge to work with our candidate, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, as a united family, for the victory of our party and his (Idahosa’s) success in the upcoming governorship election.
“We are confident that Edo State, under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, our party will thrive and uphold the values that define the APC.
“The APC in Edo State is committed to promoting democratic principles, transparency, and fairness in all its activities. The party aims to serve Edo people and advance the cause of good governance in our dear state.”
Meanwhile, members of the State Working Committee (SWC) of APC in Edo have passed a vote of confidence in the state’s Chairman, Jarret Tenebe; the Secretary, Lawrence Okah; and the Publicity Secretary, Prince Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie.
The SWC enjoined the three chieftains not to relent in their efforts in upholding justice, equity and fair play, regardless of undue pressure from any quarter.
Uwadiae-Igbinigie said in a statement: “At a meeting of the members of the SWC of APC in Edo State, held on February 20, 2024, a vote of implicit confidence was passed in Tenebe, Okah and Uwadiae-Igbinigie, due to the excellent ways they have been piloting the affairs of the party, particularly at this auspicious time of our political evolution.
“The SWC of our party in Edo State uses this medium to thank the teeming members of APC for their calmness, in spite of the unprovoked attacks on them. At the end of the day, the peace that we hitherto enjoy in our party shall be restored.”
PDP, LP pick candidates tomorrow, Friday
From Bisi Olaniyi, Southsouth Bureau Chief
Two more governorship candidates will be picked tomorrow and Friday through the primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State respectively.
The ruling PDP, according to its Chairman in the state, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, would be holding a “peaceful” shadow poll at the Lawn Tennis Court of Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin.
His LP counterpart, Kelly Ogbaloi, who was contacted at 7:50pm yesterday for details on his party’s primary said he was in a meeting.
He was yet to respond to a message sent to him as at press time.
The PDP’s primary will be contested by Asue Ighodalo, from Ewohimi in Esan Southeast Local Government Area in Edo Central Senatorial District of the state, Edo Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu and Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, a former member of the House of Representatives, among others.
Jostling for the LP ticket are: Kenneth Imansuangbon, a billionaire philanthropist from Ewohimi; the immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata, who hails from Benin Kingdom in Edo South Senatorial District and others.
The APC has announced House of Representatives member Dennis Idahosa as its candidate after holding its direct primary on Saturday.
