There was confusion, as two governorship candidates emerged winners of the All Progressives Congress (APC), parallel primaries election for the September 21, governorship election in Edo state.
Member of House of Representative, Hon Denise Idahosa, was earlier announced winner by the Chairman APC, Primary Election Committee, Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, at Protea Hotel while Senator Monday Okpepholo was declared winner by the Returning Officer for the election, Dr. Stanley Ugboaje at the residence of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Truth Live News reports that Hon. Idahosa scored 40,453 votes in one of the Primaries to emerge winner while in the parallel primary, Sen. Monday Okpebholo polled 12,145 votes to defeat other contestants.
Governor Uzodimma while announcing the results said the election was peaceful across the 18 local government and 192 wards and that Idahosa polled 40,453 votes to emerged winner while Engr. Gideon Ikhine came second with 700 votes
“Therefore, Denise Idahosa having scored the hugest votes cast, is hereby declared winner of the primary and returned as the candidate of the party for the Edo Governorship election”
Similarly, the Returning Officer for the election in the second primaries, Dr. Stanley Ugboaje, in announcing the results, said Monday Okpepholo emerged winner with 12,145 votes while Idahosa scored 5,536 votes to emerge second.
“I hereby certified that Monday Okpepholo, having scored the highest votes, is declared winner and duly returned as APC candidate for the election” Ugboaje said.
Earlier, hoodlums suspected to be thugs stormed the result collation Lushville Hotel and Suite venue the primaries and disrupted the process.
Several journalists, including Truth Live News correspondents, NTA camera man, FRCN and Arise reporters were manhandled while their equipment scattered. Before journalists could gather their things together, the thugs swooped on the venue after overpowering the police operatives at the gate.