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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The confusion trailing the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Edo State continued on Sunday as Anamero Dekeri became the third aspirant to claim victory.
A chieftain of the party, Ojo Babatunde, who said he was acting on behalf of all the local government returning officers, declared that Dekeri polled 25,384 votes to beat Dennis Idahosa, who polled 14,127 votes to place second.
“Hon. Dekeri having met the requirements of the law and scored the highest valid votes cast have been declared winner of the election and returned elected,” Babatunde said.
Dekeri is the member representing Etsako Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
A total of 12 aspirants were screened and cleared for the direct primary by the national leadership of the party.
However, three aspirants– Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Lucky Imasuen and Ernest Umakhihe withdrew before the election.
Recall that Imo State Governor and chairman of the primary election committee, Hope Uzodimma had on Satueday declared a member of the House of Representatives representing Ovia South West/North East Federal Constituency, Dennis Idahosa, winner of the APC primary election.
Announcing the result, Uzodimma said Idahosa polled a total of 40,483 votes to become the candidate of the APC in the September 21 governorship election in the state.
However, a faction of the party, which held a parallel primary election at another location in Benin City, the state capital declared Senator representing Edo Central in the National Assembly, Monday Okpebholo, as APC candidate.
The Returning Officer for the parallel election, Ogbuaja Stanley Uzoamaka, dismissed Uzodimma’s declaration, maintaining that the Imo Governor’s position is only ceremonial
The election conducted by the Uzodimma group was marred by disruption from suspected thugs who stormed the results collation centre in the GRA area of Benin City.
They threw away chairs and cameras mounted by journalists, a development that saw officials and pressmen scampering for safety.
The drama forced the election officials to change the venue of the collation exercise.
Uzodimma later explained that there was a mixup about the collation venue, stressing that his declaration of Idahosa as the winner of the election was done at the right venue.
Meanwhile, the APC has distanced itself from the parallel primaries 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.
“We urge all party members, officials in the State, and the general public to disregard the said announcement of results by these unauthorized persons,” the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said in a statement on Saturday night.