Edo Guber: APC Declares Senator Monday Okpebholo Winner of Primary Election 

By David Lawani, Abuja

Senator Monday Okpebholo has been declared the winner of Edo State gubernatorial primary election by the party after a keenly contested election.

The Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Otu who was the Chairman of the Edo State Governorship Primary Election Committee made the declaration after collating the results from the 18 local government areas.

Senator Okpebholo polled 12,433 votes to defeat his close rival, Dennis Idahosa, who scored 6,541 votes.

It will be recalled Gov. Hope Uzodimma’s committee had before now declared Dennis Idahosa, a member of the House of Representatives, as the winner of the primary election in a controversial circumstances.

But, other aspirants who participated in the process had rejected the outcome and called for the removal of governor Hope Uzodinma as the chairman of the primary election committee citing unwholesome bias and lack of confidence in his leadership.

Petitions and protest were submitted at the national secretariat of the party to drive home the point the aggrieved members of the party were seeking until the party bow to pressure and

While Monday Okpebholo was declared the winner by the returning officer at the residence of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu in Benin City, Anamero Sunday Dekeri, the representative of Etsako Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, was also declared the winner by the spokesman of the local government returning officers, Ojo Babatunde.

In a swift reaction, the party leadership later declared the gubernatorial primary election incomplete owing to conflicting results that produced three different candidates who were claiming victory after the confusion.