The three major political parties, APC, PDP and the Labour Party (LP) have conducted their primary elections and presented their flag bearers for the forthcoming governorship election in Edo state, Africa Update reports.
According to INEC, the governorship election in Edo state to replace Governor Godwin Obaseki will hold on the 12th of October 2024.
Obaseki’s second tenure as governor of the south-south state will end on November 11, 2024. As residents and voters await the commencement of campaigns and the voting process, these are the major contenders for the Edo gubernatorial election in 2024.
The representative of Edo Central Senatorial District, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has been declared the winner of Edo State All Progressives Congress governorship fresh primary election.
The collation and declaration took place on Friday morning at Lushville Hotel and Suites, Government Reservation Area, in Benin.
The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, who was the Chairman of the Edo APC fresh poll, made the declaration after collating the results from the 18 local government areas returning officers who conducted the poll in the 192 wards of the state.
Okpebholo polled 12,433 votes to defeat the representative of Ovia constituency in the House of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa, who scored 6,541 votes.
The National Working Committee of the party had ordered a fresh election on Thursday after the one that held on Saturday was cancelled, following three aspirants’ claim to have won the exercise.
Recall that the former Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the primary, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, announced Dennis Idahosa as winner, while the returning officer, Stanley Ugboaja declared Monday Okpebholo as winner.
Also, Ojo Babatunde, who claimed to be representing the returning officers in all the local government declared Anamero Dekeri as the winner of the election.
However, the post-primary election crisis rocking the party degenerated last Monday as angry youths and women took over the party secretariat, demanding the sack of the state working committee led by acting Chairman, Jarret Tenebe over Saturday’s election.
The crowd led by the Youth Leader of the party, Tony Adun, alias Kabaka, said that they were protesting against the conduct of the officials at Saturday’s primary election of the party which threw up three winners, noting that it was obvious that the executive members worked against the party.
However, Okpebholo said, “I must thank the party members that nominated me, and I promise that I will not fail them.
“It is time to come together as a party and ensure we win the September 21 election. We are all one and I must thank the party executive for standing for the truth. This is a victory for the democracy,” he added.
One of the aspirants in Thursday’s All Progressives Congress governorship primary election, Anamero Dekeri, rejected the outcome of the primary which threw up Senator Monday Okpebholo as the party’s candidate.
Dekeri, a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Etsako Federal Constituency, scored 2,566 votes as against Okpebholo who polled 12,433 votes.
He alleged that the conduct of the primaries lacked transparency and was skewed in favour of Okpebholo.
Also, the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, on Friday won the governorship primary of the Edo State Labour Party as the candidate for the party in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Akpata, who polled a total of 316 votes, defeated his other contenders with a wide margin, with the closest aspirants, Mr. Ken Imansuagbon, popularly known as ‘Rice Man’, and Professor Sunny Eromosele scoring seven votes apiece.
While Sergius Ògún scored four votes, Mr. Earnest Àyègbè scored three votes, just as Paul Iseghohi withdrew from the race.
The Chief Returning Officer of the election and deputy governor of Abia state, Emechulu Ikechukwu, noted that the party represented truth, hard work and transparency.
In his acceptance speech, Olumide Akpata paid tribute to the late Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, whom he described as “my predecessor, elder brother and mentor”, promising to follow the late governor’s ideals if elected governor.
Meanwhile, Asue Ighodalo, a businessman, has won the governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state.
Interestingly, deputy governor of Edo State Philip shaibu also emerged winner of the parallel primaries of the PDP in Edo State.
Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara and returning officer of the election, had declared Ighodalo winner of the primary poll on Thursday.
Lawal said Ighodalo secured 577 votes to defeat other aspirants in the race.
“I, therefore, declare Asuelimen Ighodalo the winner of this concluded primary today with a total vote of 577,” Lawal said.
“Therefore, I hereby return him elected as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the upcoming election in Edo State. My brother, congratulations.”
Ighodalo is reported to be the preferred candidate of Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo.
Earlier, Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of Edo, won the parallel governorship primary organised at his residence.
Bartholomew Moses, the returning officer, who announced Shaibu as the winner of the parallel primary election, said the deputy governor won the exercise with over 300 votes.
Some party delegates who arrived at the lawn tennis court of the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium in Benin City, the state capital, the venue of the primary, were reportedly denied access.
The delegates subsequently moved to Shaibu’s residence where a parallel election was held
Profile of Senator Okpebholo: Date of birth Senator Monday Okpebholo was born on June 12, 1962. The 61-year-old politician hails from Uromi, Esan North-East local government area of Edo state.
The lawmaker represents Edo Central Senatorial district at the National Assembly in Abuja. Education. He stated his education at Uromi Primary School and his secondary education at Uromi Grammar School.
Okpebholo bagged a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics in 1986 and a master’s in Public Administration in 1990 both from the University of Benin (UNIBEN).
Profile of Asue Ighodalo: Ighodalo was born on July 19, 1959. The 64-year-old hails from Okaigben, Ewohimi, Esan South East LG, Edo State.
Education: The PDP governorship candidate had his secondary education at the prestigious King’s College, Lagos. Ighodalo bagged B.Sc. Economics at the University of Ibadan (UI) in 1981.
He acquired his LL.B Hons from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1984. He graduated from the Nigerian Law School in 1985)
Profile of Olumide Akpata: Akpata was born on October 7, 1972 in Edo state. Education: The 51-year-old legal practitioner bagged a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Benin (UNIBEN) Edo state in 1992. He was called to the bar in 1993.
Akpata was elected president of the Nigerian Bar Association in July 2020 and was the first non-senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to occupy that opposition in 28 years.
