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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, met with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State at the State House, Abuja.
The meeting was meant to address the disagreements that arose from Edo APC governorship primary and officially present the party’s flag to its candidate in the September 21, 2024 governorship elections, Monday Okpebholo, and his running mate, Dennis Idahosa.
The delegation was led to the presidential villa by the APC Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
Ganduje had earlier met with the main actors in the crisis at the APC headquarters in Abuja.
At the meeting with Ganduje, it was agreed that Idahosa, who is a member of the House of Representatives and anointed candidate of former governor of the state, Sen Adams Oshiomhole, to be the deputy governorship candidate to Senator Monday Okpebolo, who is the the governorship candidate of the party.
While the full details of the closed-door meeting with Tinubu remain unclear, it was gathered that Idahosa has been asked to withdraw his court case against Okpebholo’s candidature.
The primary election through which Okpebholo emerged as candidate has been mired in controversy.
Idahosa was first declared the party’s candidate by the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led primary committee.
The first round of voting saw the trio of Okpebholo, Idahosa, and Sunday Dekeri lay claim to the party’s governorship ticket.
Consequently, the party’s National Working Committee declared the exercise inconclusive owing to several irregularities.
Okpebholo eventually secured victory with 12,433 votes in the February 23 re-run. His emergence prompted Idahosa to approach the Federal High Court in Abuja to seek redress.
Present at the meeting with the president was the Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Oshiomhole, and former representative of Edo South in the Senate, Matthew Urhoghide, NWC members,among others.