Okpebholo Grabs Edo APC Gov’ship Primary With 12,433 Votes

Sen. Monday Okpebholo,  the Senator representing Edo Central Senatorial District,  has emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the party’s rescheduled primary election in Edo State on Friday.

Recall that the trio of  Sena-tor Okpebholo, Hon. Dennis Ida-hosa and Hon. Anamero Dekeri, had last weekend laid claims to the party’s governorship ticket following a controversial exercise, a development that created division among the National Working Committee (NWC) members of the APC and the Governor Hope Uzodinma, the erstwhile chairman of the party’s electoral panel for the State.

Uzodinma had declared Idahosa as the winner while the returning officer, Dr Stanley Ugboajah, declared Okpebholo as the winner at another location. Also, another group of electoral officials declared Dekeri as the winner of the primary election.

But, days after, the National leadership of APC declared the initial exercise as inconclusive and fixed Thursday, February 22, 2024, for the completion of the exercise.

It later appointed the governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu, as chairman of the APC Primary Election Committee to complete the assignment.

Announcing the final results in the early hours of Friday in Benin City after collating results from the 18 Local Government Areas of the State, Governor Otu said Senator Okpebholo polled 12,433 votes to defeat 11 other aspirants, who contested the direct primary election.

Otu announced the votes scored by aspirants as follows: Blessing Agbomhere, 731 votes; Charles Airhiavbere, 1,181; Osagie Ize-Iyamu, 378; Senator Monday Okpebholo, 12,433; Dennis Idahosa, 6,541; Clem Agba, 2,732; Lucky Imansuen, 493; David Imuse, 423; Oserhiemen Osunbor, 634; Gideon Ikhine, 728; Anamero Dekeri, 2,566, and Ernest Umakhine, 2,117.

Otu said 12 aspirants contested for the party’s governorship ticket and Senator Okpebholo, having satisfied all the requirements and having scored the highest number of votes, was declared the winner.

He specifically thanked officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, adding that in every contest there must be a winner and a loser and appealed to other aspirants to rally around Okpebholo.

He called on all members of the party to remain united to ensure victory for the party in the September 21, 2024 governorship election.

But, shortly after the Electoral Committee declared Okpebholo as the winner, one of the aspirants, Anamero Dekeri, rejected the results and vowed to challenge it before the party’s appeal panel.