Edo 2024: Okpebholo emerges APC candidate as Anamero kicks
AFTER days of an accusation and counter-accusation of manipulations, the All Progressives Congress (APC) finally concluded its governorship primary election on Friday declaring the Senator representing Edo Central, Monday Okpebholo as the candidate of the.
He polled 12,433 to defeat his closest rival, Hon Dennis Idahosa, the member representing Ovia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives who scored 6,541 votes.
Declaring the results, the Chairman of the APC Edo Primary Election Committee, Gov Bassey Otu said “Sen Okpebholo having satisfied all the requirements of the party and scoring the highest number of votes in this Edo State governorship primary election is hereby declared the winner.”
Otu urged the other aspirants and leaders of the party to put the primary behind them and prepare for the September 21 election.
He announced the votes scored by aspirants as followed, Blessing Agbomhere, 731 votes, Charles Airhiavbere, 1,181, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, 378, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, 12, 433, Dennis Idahosa, 6, 541, Clem Agba, 2, 732, Lucky Imasuen, 493, David Imuse, 423, Oserhiemen Osunbor, 634, Gideon Ikhine, 728, Anamero Dekeri, 2, 566 and Ernest Umakhine, 2, 117.
He thanked officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and security agencies adding that in every contest there must be a winner and appealed to other aspirants to rally round Okpebholo.
Recall that the trio of Senator Monday Okpebholo, Hon Dennis Idahosa and Hon Anamero Dekeri, had last Thursday after primaries claimed to have won the party’s governorship ticket, a development that created division among the National Working Committee, NWC, members and the Governor Hope Uzodinma led the chairman of the APC primaries and members of the state exco.
Shortly after the Committee declared Okpebholo winner, an aspirant, Anamero Dekeri protested the outcome saying it was manipulated.
He told journalists that “I mobilised 65,000 people for this primary, in my election to the House of Representatives, I scored over 100,000 and then in this primary election, they said I scored about 2.000 votes. This is a charade as far as I am concerned.” He said he would decide his next line of action.
But Hon Emmanuel Momoh, who spoke on behalf of Sen.Monday Okpebholo, expressed gratitude to the members of the committee for a thorough job adding that the victory of Okpebholo marked the end of the ruling PDP in Edo State.
Elated Okpebholo in his reaction on the telephone thanked members of the party for the overwhelming support and confidence reposed on him to fly the party’s flag.
He said “if elected as governor come September, Edo state will witness massive infrastructural development in all sectors of the state.
“This victory serves as a quit notice to the PDP, the present tenant of Osadebey’s avenue, the seat of power, my emergence is a victory for all, no victor, no vanquished”.