The governorship primary election conducted by the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State ended in crisis as two aspirants were declared winners.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has
slated September 21, 2024, for the governorship election in the state.
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, who was the chairman of
the election committee, had earlier, at Protea Hotel, declared Dennis Idahosa
the winner of the election with 40,453 votes, while Senator Monday Okpebholo reportedly
polled 100 votes.
This was after thugs invaded the Lushville Hotel collation
centre at the time the collation of results was ongoing by the various local
government returning officers.
The hoodlums reportedly disrupted the exercise and attacked
journalists, electoral officers, and party faithful at the hotel. They ended up
chasing the electoral officers out of the venue.
However, Dr Ugbaja Stanley Uzoamaka, the State Returning
Officer for the primary election, declared Senator Monday Okpebholo the winner
with 12,145 votes and added that Honourable Dennis Idahosa scored 5,536 votes.
Uzoamaka said a total of 42,381 delegates who were financial
members of the party were vetted during the revalidation exercise.
He added that 29,881 delegates were accredited for the
primary, while the total votes were still from 29,881 delegates.
Speaking with newsmen, the State Publicity Secretary of the
party, Peter Uwadia, described the announcement of Dennis Idahosa as the winner
of the primary by Governor Hope Uzodinma as null and void and with no political
effect.
Uwadia said, in line with the party constitution, that
Governor Uzodimma was just the chairman of the electoral committee and not the
returning officer.
He opined that the only person who is constitutionally
empowered to announce the results of the primary is the electoral officer and
not the chairman of the committee.
He disclosed that five members of the party who were
attacked and wounded are currently receiving treatment in undisclosed
hospitals.
In his acceptance remarks, Senator Monday Okpebholo,
commended the delegates for the primary, noting that the exercise was peaceful
across the 192 wards in the 18 local government areas before thugs were
allegedly sponsored to invade the collation centre.
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