Senator Monday Okpebholo has been declared winner of the rescheduled All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Edo State.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Senator Monday Okpebholo has been declared winner of the rescheduled All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Edo State.
Okpebholo polled 12,433 votes to defeat 11 other aspirants who contested the re-run election, which was conducted after the first exercise was declared inconclusive by the leadership of the party
The senator was one of the three winners that emerged from last Saturday’s cancelled shadow poll.
The final outcome of the exercise was announced officially in Benin by the new Chairman of the election committee and Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu, following the collation of results from the 18 Local Government Areas.
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Following the controversies that trailed the earlier primary, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party had declared the exercise inconclusive.
Tensions began to rise when three of the ten aspirants who participated in the election laid claim to victory. Two aspirants withdrew from the election mere hours before it commenced.
The initial Primary Election Committee headed by Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma had declared Hon. Dennis Idahosa the winner with 40,453 votes. However, Senator Okpebholo was declared winner by the Chief Returning Officer, Dr. Stanley Ugboaja, and Hon. Anamero Sunday Dekeri claimed victory according to the spokesman of local government returning officers, Mr. Ojo Babatunde.
Idahosa is believed to enjoy the support of former governor of the state and Senator representing Edo North in the National Assembly, Adams Oshiomhole. The disputations arising from the primaries saw Uzodimma replaced by Gov Out as the chairman of the election committee.
By last Tuesday, the three contending aspirants had filed petitions with the Appeal Committee and the office of the national chairman of the party. Dekeri and Okpebholo had demanded certificates of return, while another contestant called for the outright cancellation of the exercise, alleging no election took place in the 192 wards of the State.
