After three gruelling days, the representative of Edo Central Senatorial District, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has been declared the winner of Edo State All Progressives Congress governorship fresh primary election.
The collation and declaration took place on Friday morning at Lushville Hotel and Suites, Government Reservation Area, Benin.
The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, who was the Chairman of the Edo APC fresh poll, made the declaration after collating the results from the 18 local government areas’ returning officers that conducted the poll in the 192 wards of the state.
Okpebholo polled 12,433 votes to defeat the representative of Ovia constituency in the House of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa, who scored 6,541 votes.
The National Working Committee of the party ordered a fresh election on Thursday after the one held on Saturday was cancelled after three aspirants claimed victory after the exercise.
The former Chairman of Electoral Committee of the primary, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, announced Dennis Idahosa as winner, while the returning officer, Stanley Ugboaja declared Monday Okpebholo as winner.
Also, Ojo Babatunde, who claimed to be representing the returning officers in all the local government declared Anamero Dekeri as the winner of the election.
However, the post-primary election crisis rocking the party degenerated last Monday as angry youths and women took over the party secretariat, demanding the sacking of the state working committee led by acting Chairman, Jarret Tenebe over Saturday’s election.
The crowd led by the Youth Leader of the party, Tony Adun, alias Kabaka, said that they were protesting against the conduct of the officials at Saturday’s primary election of the party which threw up three winners, noting that it was obvious the executive members worked against the party.
However, Okpebholo commended his supporters for the nomination while calling on party members to work hard to ensure that the APC was voted into power in September.
He said, “I must thank the party members that nominated me, and I promise that I will not fail them.
“It is time to come together as a party and ensure we win the September 21 election. We are all one and I must thank the party executive for standing for the truth. This is a victory for the democracy,” he added.
Also, the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, on Friday won the governorship primary of the Edo State Labour Party as the candidate for the party in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Akpata, who polled a total of 316 votes, defeated his other contenders with a wide margin, with the closest aspirants, Mr. Ken Imansuagbon, popularly known as ‘Rice Man’, and Professor Sunny Eromosele scoring seven votes apiece.
While Sergius Ògún scored four votes, Mr. Earnest Àyègbè scored three votes, just as Paul Iseghohi withdrew from the race.
The Chief Returning Officer of the election and deputy governor of Abia state, Emechulu Ikechukwu, noted that the party represented truth, hard work and transparency.
In his acceptance speech, Olumide Akpata paid tribute to the late Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, whom he described as “my predecessor, elder brother and mentor”, promising to follow the late governor’s ideals if elected governor.
One of the aspirants in Thursday’s All Progressives Congress governorship primary election, Anamero Dekeri, rejected the outcome of the primary which threw up Senator Monday Okpebholo as the party’s candidate.
Dekeri, a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Etsako Federal Constituency, scored 2,566 votes as against Okpebholo who polled 12,433 votes.
He alleged that the conduct of the primaries lacked transparency and was skewed in favour of Okpebholo.