One of the governorship aspirants in the just-concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, has led a massive protest, demanding justice.
This was as hundreds of youths under the aegis of Edo Concerned Patriots on Monday besieged the partyโs National secretariat in Abuja, demanding that the results of the Gov. Hope Uzodinma-led Primary Election Committee be upheld.
The protesters wielded placards with various inscriptions such as โAPC must do the right thingโ, โWe stand on Dennis mandateโ, and other unprintable phrases.
The result which has now been cancelled, Gov. Uzodinma had declared a federal lawmaker, Dennis Idahosa, winner, while the Chief Returning Officer for the exercise,Stanley Ugboaja, declared Edo Central senator, Monday Okpebholo. Local Government returning officers led by Babatunde Ojo were reported to ah e also declared another federal lawmaker, Anamero Dekeri as winner.
While party Spokesman, Felix Morka had declared that only the report of the Uzodinma panel would be recognized by the party leadership, the party however made a volte face, declaring the exercise โinconclusiveโ.
Morka had said; โThe NWC resolves that the Edo State governorship primary election has not been completed and has now fixed Thursday, February 22, 2024 for the completion of the APC primary election process.โ
However, the protesters said rather than continuing with the process on the said day, Uzodinmaโs replacement and Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu had made himself unavailable and only came out to declare strange results.
Those who signed the petition on behalf of the protesters were the Convener, Innocent Ogedegbe, Jonathan Adegoke and Christopher Osas Emovon.
They said; โGovernor Bassey Otu was appointed the new Chairman of the primary election committee in place of Governor Hope Uzodinma. 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.
โGovernor 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 Hon. 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.
โSuddenly, Governor Otu arrived and ordered armed soldiers to evacuate party members. After scattering party members disrespectfully 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 mid night 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.
โThe 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 partyโs 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.
โThe 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.
โOur 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 doneโ.
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