Appeal of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Umar Ganduje to aggrieved aspirants from the Edo APC primary to bury the hatchet and rally round its standard bearer ahead September governorship election, Senator Monday Okpebholo may have been rebuffed.
This emerged as supporters of one of the aspirants, Dennis Idahosa stormed the party national secretariat on Monday, demanding for the withdrawal of Certificate of Return issued on Sunday to Okpebholo.
At the primary held last week, the Senator representing Edo Central picked the ticket, defeating Honourable Dennis Idahosa who came second.
Picking holes in the process that threw up Senator Okpebholo, the protesters under the aegis of, “Edo Concerned Patriots on Monday,” who besieged the APC National secretariat claimed the party should not have continued with the process started by Imo state counterpart, Senator Uzodimma.
The petition signed by Innocent Ogedegbe, Jonathan Adegoke and Christopher Osas Emovon maintained that the fresh “primaries of 17th and 22nd February, 2024 were not conducted by open secret ballot by APC as required by relevant provisions of APC constitution and the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo is not only unlawful, but a crass violation of the APC constitution.
“Governor Bassey Otu was appointed the new chairman of the primary election committee in place of Governor Hope Uzodimma. He held a stakeholders meeting on 22nd February, 2025 at the designated venue of collation and informed all present that the primaries would be re-conducted to eliminate the complaints associated with the aborted primaries. He was captured on camera and reported by several electronic news media.
“Governor Otu then directed that party members should report at their wards for the conduct of the primaries. Aspirants began fresh mobilization and thousands of members were gathered at their various wards. To their surprise, no returning officers were deployed to these wards to conduct the primaries.
Party members after waiting in vain for the arrival of the election officials began to queue behind posters of their preferred aspirants. It was clear that Honourable Dennis Idahosa was the preferred candidate of a vast majority of party members.
“Curiously, Governor Otu went out of circulation while the so-called LGA returning officers were enjoying the comfort of their hotel rooms with funds paid by aspirants for collection of nomination forms. Party leaders brought the results from their various LGAs to the collation center and there was no one to hand them to. Worried party members waited in the vicinity of the collation center in vain.
“Suddenly, Governor Otu arrived and ordered armed soldiers to evacuate party members. After scattering party members disrespectfully them like goats, he then announced some figures conjured from no where as votes scored in the said direct primaries. They turned out to be the same votes allocated to Senator Okpebholo at midnight in the primary election of 17th February, 2024 which was discredited by the party and upon which they ordered a proper completion of the said primaries.
“The said primaries of 22nd February, 2024 did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 as aspirants were not given equal opportunities of being voted for by party members at the designated centers at the wards that make up Edo State. The party members present to vote did not have their votes cast recorded by any known officer of the party’s National Secretariat. Quite clearly the result sheets used were completed in the National Secretariat of the party as it did not flow from the reality on ground in Edo State.”
“The said primaries of 17th and 22nd February, 2024 were not conducted by open secret ballot by APC as required by relevant provisions of APC constitution and the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo is not only unlawful, but a crass violation of the APC constitution.
“Our strong prayer is that the injustice perpetrated by the Governor Otu committee be set aside by the party and Hon. Dennis Idahosa be rightfully declared winner on the strength of available extant documentary evidence. Let justice be done”.
