BREAKING: Edo APC Rejects Uzodimma’s Idahosa, Declares Okpebholo Winner of Party’s Primary Election

• The leadership of the Edo APC has announced the "authentic" winner of the state's party primary election held on Saturday
• The APC state returning officer Ogbuaja Stanley Uzoamaka declared Senator Okpebholo as the parallel winner of the state's primary election as against the declaration made by Governor Hope Uzodimma-led committee
• They claimed that Uzodimma's declaration of Dennis Idahosa as the party's flagbearer for the September election does not stand, insisting the Imo governor’s post is only ceremonial

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Edo state, Benin City - Senator Monday Okpebholo has been declared the winner of a parallel Edo state All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election held on Saturday, February 17.

Confusion crisis rocks APC primary election in Edo state

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Dennis Idahosa wins Edo APC primary election, emerges as party's governorship candidate

As reported by Channels TV, confusion sets in as the APC state returning officer Ogbuaja Stanley Uzoamaka declared Okpebholo winner of the exercise held in Benin City, the Edo state capital, on Saturday.

His declaration came a few hours after Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo state who heads the APC election committee for Edo state announced Dennis Idahosa as the winner of the poll.

But the group has dismissed Uzodimma’s declaration, maintaining that the Imo governor’s post is only ceremonial, The Punch reported.

Meanwhile, the election conducted by the Uzodimma group was marred by disruption from suspected thugs who stormed the results collation venue in the GRA area of Edo stat

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BREAKING: Panic in Edo as thugs disrupt collation of APC governorship primary

However, Governor Uzodimma explained that there was a mixup about the collation venue, maintaining that his declaration of Idahosa as the winner of the election was done in the right venue.

APC insists Uzodimma's declaration stands

Also, the APC has distanced itself from the parallel primary and endorsed the election conducted by the Uzodimma-led group.

“We wish to state categorically that only the Governor Hope Uzodinma-Led Edo State APC Governorship Primary Election Committee is duly authorised to undertake the final collation and announcement of results of the Primary Election in the State,” the party’s national spokesman Felix Morka said.

Edo 2024: Ize-Iyamu withdraw from governorship race

Meanwhile, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has announced his withdrawal from the Edo gubernatorial race.

Pastor Ize-Iyamo conveyed his decision in a letter to the party's acting state chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, expressing the difficulty of his choice.

"I joined the 2023 Edo state gubernatorial race as a result of my passion and commitment to the course of rescuing Edo state from its current condition. "After extensive consultation with my family, friends, and colleagues, we decided that I should withdraw from the governorship race," he said.

Source: Legit.ng