- Idahosa, Okpebholo, Dekeri claim victory
- Ganduje, Imuse congratulate Idahosa
- APC stakeholders reject primary result
Confusion is trailing the All Progressives Congress governorship primary election in Edo State as three candidates emerged for the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, who is also the chairman of the APC Primary Election Committee, announced Dennis Idahosa, with 40, 453 votes, as the winner of the governorship primary held at Protea Hotel, while the returning officer, Stanley Ugboaja declared Monday Okpebholo winner with 12,145 at Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s residence.
One of the aspirants, Anamero Dekeri, is equally claiming victory, saying he has accepted the nomination to be the party’s candidate at the September 21 election.
One Ojo Babatunde who said he was acting on behalf of all the local government returning officers, said that Dekeri polled 25,384 votes to beat Dennis Idahosa who polled 14,127 votes to second place.
Babatunde said, “Hon. Dekeri having met the requirements of the law and scored the highest valid votes cast have been declared winner of the election and returned elected.”
Dekeri is the member representing Etsako Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives.
While Ugboaja and other officers were announcing the results at Lushville, suspected political thugs disrupted the announcement of results with Okpebholo in the lead after the results of eight local government areas were announced.
Four people were also injured in the process while journalists also scampered for safety after they were alerted of the attack.
While declaring the result, Uzodimma said that there was a mix-up as to where the secretariat of the committee was, noting that the Protea Hotel and not the Lushville Hotel where results were announced earlier on Saturday was the authentic secretariat.
He said, “There was misinformation as regards the venue of the primary. This is the secretariat where results were collated and would be announced.
“Of the 12 aspirants that contested this primary, Clem Agba scored 100 votes, Senator Monday Okpepholo, 100; Dekeri Anamero, 230; Gideon Ikhine, 700 votes.
“David Imuse got 400 votes; Charles Airhavebere, 163 votes; Prof Osareime Osunbor, 180 votes; Dr Blessing Agbomere, 50 votes; Denise Idahosa, 40,453 votes, Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, two votes; Lucky Imasuen and Pastor Ize-Iyamu scored two votes respectively.
“Therefore, Denise Idahosa, having scored the highest votes cast, is hereby declared winner of the primary and returned as the candidate of the party.”
However, Ugboaja said he was the right person to announce the result while declaring Okpebholo the winner.
“I am the right person to declare the results of this primary election but unfortunately, I was not allowed to finish the announcement. We will continue the announcement here (Ize-Iyamu’s residence).
“Having scored the highest number of votes, I hereby declare Senator Okpebholo the winner of the election,” he added.
The Publicity Secretary of the party, Peter Uwadiae, also described the announcement by Uzodimma as illegal and urged the party hierarchy and APC members to disregard Uzodimma’s action.
Agba rejects result
Reacting to the election, one of the candidates, Clem Agba, however, condemned the result, saying he won the exercise based on the authentic turnout of party members.
In a statement he issued shortly after the poll, Agba said, “To the 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 falls below the minimum standard of democratic elections that is universally acceptable.
“I strongly believe that thousands of loyal party members were disenfranchised. Based on the authentic turnout, we clinched victory. The result so far announced is ridiculous 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 were greatly undermined.
“While I remain a loyal party member, I will not be part of a process that robs the mass of our loyal party members of their inalienable right to vote. What has taken place in Edo State negates all that even our political leaders have taught us over the years about democracy, the will of the people, one man, one vote and justice and fair play.
“We must come together to challenge this great injustice and restore the integrity and strength of our great party. Such impunity that the people have been subjected to should have no place in our great party. We will proceed speedily within the guidelines laid down by our party to seek justice,” he stated.
Ganduje, Imuse congratulate Idahosa
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, has hailed the winner of the party’s governorship primary election, Dennis Idahosa.
Ganduje’s congratulatory message was contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, on Saturday.
While describing Idahosa as the choice of the people, the APC national chairman urged him to carry other aspirants along to have a united front ahead of the governorship election in the state.
The former Kano governor also commended Uzodimma’s Primary Election Committee, saying its transparency in the conduct of the election is highly commendable.
He said, “I want to congratulate the winner of the Edo State governorship election, I want to equally commend and appreciate Governor Hope Uzodimma’s election committee for their hard work and the transparent manner in which the primary election was conducted.
“At this point, I want to call on all the aspirants to bury the hatchet and work for the interest of the party so that our party will emerge victorious.“
Ganduje also commended all the party stakeholders and assured them that the party will do everything possible to ensure that Edo state is delivered.
Also, one of the aspirants, Col. David Imuse (retd.) has congratulated Dennis Idahosa for emerging as the party’s flag bearer.
In a statement on Saturday, Imuse said, “I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you, Dennis Idahosa, on your emergence as our party flag bearer.
“This triumph signifies a promising future not only for our esteemed party, the APC but also for the well-being of our beloved Edo State. Your emergence as the flag bearer reflects the confidence and support you’ve garnered within the party.”
APC stakeholders reject primary result
In another development, party chieftains and stakeholders of the Edo chapter of the APC on Sunday called for the cancellation of Saturday’s governorship primary, which produced three winners.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, aggrieved APC stakeholders led by Emmanuel Godwin slammed Uzodimma for allegedly declaring a winner when collation was still ongoing.
The stakeholders rejected the result and called on President Bola Tinubu and Ganduje not to give recognition to Uzodimma’s declared candidate.
Godwin said, “We have been inundated with news that a particular candidate was announced yesterday by His Excellency, Hope Uzodimma. It is unfortunate that Uzodimma, who is not the returning officer in whatever capacity, assumed the position and went ahead to announce Dennis Idahosa when the returning officers were still collating the results.
“We wish to therefore state categorically that the purported announcement is null and void and it should be disregarded in its entirety. Governor Uzodimma lacks the power to usurp duties and responsibilities of local government returning officers in the Edo State primaries.
“We call on the National Chairman of our great party, the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and President Bola Tinubu to as a matter of honour discard Governor Uzodimma’s infamous declaration of one Mr Dennis Idahosa who didn’t win the primaries.
“We call on the National Chairman of our great party, the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and President Bola Tinubu to as a matter of honour discard Governor Uzodimma’s infamous declaration of one Mr Dennis Idahosa who didn’t win the primaries”
“It is also on record that in a viral video, the state chairman of the party, Jarret Tenebe, remarked that only Dekeri and Okpebholo are the two aspirants legally qualified to contest the primaries because only the duo complied with the APC guidelines of payment of membership validation exercise.”
Dekeri accepts mandate, calls for support
One of the aspirants claiming victory in the primary election, Anamero Dekeri, said he has accepted the nomination to be the party’s candidate at the September 21 election.
In his acceptance speech on Sunday, he commended the stakeholders and urged other aspirants to join hands with him to improve the fortunes of the party and win the governorship election.
He said, “On February 17, 2024 members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State came out to vote for a candidate of their choice to fly the party’s flag in the forthcoming gubernatorial election for Edo State.
“In their wisdom, they elected me, Anamero Dekeri, as their preferred candidate. In all humility and with a great sense of responsibility, I accept this choice, which I believe is a reflection of God’s choice. From the depth of my heart I say a big thank you to members of our great party in Edo State for reposing this huge confidence in me, which I must say I do not take for granted.
“I must also thank critical stakeholders, especially the state and national working committee, for insisting on total adherence to electoral guidelines as stipulated in the timetable. Let me also appreciate the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission for ensuring transparency in the conduct of the election.”
He further acknowledged the efforts of his campaign team for their resilience and commitment to the noble course. He then urged them to rededicate themselves to the next stage of the process.
While addressing his co-contestants, he noted that their participation helped deepen democracy in APC.
“You fought gallantly and with passion. We might have disagreed during the campaign which is not unusual in any contest, however our members have made a choice.
“There is no victor and there is no vanquished. It is APC that has won. Democracy is the winner. Therefore, I invite you to join hands with me and let us match together, shoulder to shoulder, with great strength and commitment, and remove the temporary occupant at Osadebe Avenue – the PDP come September, 2024,” he added.
He called on the APC in Edo State to “gird their loins” and join forces for campaign efforts to form the next government in the state.
“Ours shall be a government that will care for you and your children and alleviate your sufferings.
“Let me send this message to the People’s Democratic Party, the temporary occupant at Dennis Osadebey Avenue, to begin to pack their luggage.
Your time is up,” he added.
Prior to the primary held to produce the party’s standard-bearer for the September 21, 2024 governorship election in the state, there had been a palpable tension within the party following allegations and counter allegations that the immediate past governor of the state and former National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshimhole, was bent on imposing a candidate on the party.
The tension was said to have culminated in the last-minute withdrawal of two frontline aspirants, Ehizuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, from the governorship race.
