The All Progressives Congress committee has raised confusion by declaring Senator Monday Okpebholo as the winner of a parallel Edo State APC governorship primary election, contradicting the earlier announcement of Dennis Idahosa as the poll winner.
The APC State Returning Officer Ogbuaja Stanley Uzoamaka declared Okpebholo winner of the exercise held in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Saturday.
Okpebholo’s declaration came just 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 dismissed Uzodimma’s declaration, maintaining that the Imo governor’s post is only ceremonial.
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 State.
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.
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.
“We urge all party members, officials in the State, and the general public to disregard the said announcement of results by these unauthorized persons.”
