After the controversy surrounding the governorship primary election in Edo State last Saturday, the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress has stated that the poll is inconclusive.
This information was shared by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, on Tuesday following an emergency meeting with the NWC at the party secretariat in Abuja.
The primary, which took place on February 17, resulted in three winners being declared.
The Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Governor Hope Uzodimma, announced Dennis Idahosa as the winner, while the returning officer, Stanley Ugboaja, declared Monday Okpebholo as the winner.
Elsewhere, Ojo Babatunde, claiming to represent the returning officers in all local governments, declared Anamero Dekeri as the winner of the election.
Following the ensuing confusion, both Dekeri and Okpebholo wrote to the party’s appeal committee to request their certificates of return.
Another candidate, Prof Oserheimen Osunbor, stated on Tuesday that no election took place in the state, despite the announced results.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Morka revealed that the election is not yet complete and that the process will resume on Thursday.
He said, “I am here to give you the outcome of the emergency meeting of the National Working Committee of our party held today regarding Edo State governorship primary election.
“At its emergency meeting held today, Tuesday, February 20, 2024, to consider the report on the Edo governorship primary election, the National Working Committee of our party deliberated and resolved that the governorship primary election has not been completed and has now fixed Thursday, February 22 for the completion of the APC Edo State” primary election process.”
The party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, congratulated Idahosa on becoming the party’s candidate. It is not clear at this time what influenced the decision of the party’s NWC, led by Ganduje.
