A MEMBER of the House of Representatives Dennis Idahosa has emerged as the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Edo State Governorship election.
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State who is the Edo State Governorship Primary Election Committee Chair declared Idahosa as the APC flagbearer on Saturday in Benin City following the party’s primary election.
According to him, Idahosa polled over 40,000 votes to defeat other contestants and will now fly the party’s flag in the September 2024 governorship poll.
Before the announcement, there was some drama as suspected thugs disrupted the collation exercise, forcing the election committee to change venue.
The suspected thugs had invaded the venue, and thrown away cameras belonging to journalists, leading to officials and the pressmen scampering for safety.
But Governor Uzodimma explained that there was a mixup about the collation venue. He said the candidate was announced in the right venue.
Following concerns about a parallel primary, the ruling APC told supporters that it would only recognise the result declared by the Uzodimma committee.
“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 spokesman Felix Morka said in a statement.
“We urge all party members, officials in the State, and the general public to disregard the said announcement of results by these unauthorized persons.”
Earlier, some members of the APC in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State told Channels Television that the election was peaceful.
