TELL Magazine

The hitherto suspended gubernatorial primary of the Edo State All Progressives Congress, APC, was concluded on Friday with the senator representing Edo Central Senatorial District, Monday Okpebholo, declared the winner.

The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, who replaced Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State as Chairman of Edo APC’s shadow poll, made the declaration after collating last week’s results from the 18 local government areas’ returning officers that conducted the shadow poll in the 192 wards of the state.

The collation and declaration took place Friday morning at Lushville Hotel and Suites, Gapiona Avenue, Government Reservation Area (GRA), Benin. Okpebholo polled 12,433 votes to defeat the representative of Ovia constituency in the House of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa, who scored 6,541 votes. Idahosa had earlier been declared winner and had been congratulated by the national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje. Nine out of the 10 aspirants vehemently protested the outcome of the election which they claimed was skewed in Idahosa’s favour, and the party responded by declaring the election inconclusive. They accused former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole of imposing Idahosa on the party.