Nigeria’s electoral governing body INEC has poured cold water on the dust generated from last Saturday’s governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, which produced three winners
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, said that the electoral umpire would only reckon with the exercise conducted at the venue communicated to it by the national leadership of the party.
Onuoha said by the decision of the Supreme Court, only the national leadership of a political party and not the state leadership could determine the venue of a primary election.
According to him, in the Edo State case, the venue communicated to INEC by the APC national leadership was Lushville Hotel and Suites.
The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, who is the Chairman of the Edo State Primary Election Committee, announced Dennis Idahosa as winner at Protea Hotel.
The state Returning Officer, Stanley Ugboaja, held a parallel announcement, declaring Monday Okpebholo as winner.
Also, Ojo Babatunde, who claimed to be representing the returning officers in all the local government declared Anamero Dekeri as the winner of the election.
The trio of Idahosa, Okpebholo and Dekeri are laying claim to victory.
The National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, had congrulated Idahosa, who was declared winner by Uzodimma.
But the Edo State leadership of the party have rejected the results declared by Uzodimma, insisting that only the state Returning Officer could declare the winner.
On Monday, Dekeri, who was the third winner to emerge, stormed the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja demanding to be issued with a Certicate of Return as the winner of the poll.
Meanwhile, speaking on the APC primary in Benin on Monday, the Edo State REC said INEC monitored the exercise and would only reckon with results declared at the venue committed to it by the national leadership of the party.
INEC Clears Air On Edo APC Primary, Set To Recognise Dennis Idahosa
