The APC Delegates in Edo State have made their choice and it is Godwin Obaseki. The primary elections which ran into the dark hours of yesterday was televised life on the National Television Authority (NTA) and after the votes were counted, it was announced that Godwin Obaseki (who many claim is a relative of former Group Managing Director of NNPC, Jackson Gaius Obaseki) had won the election with a large margin.
This means Obaseki will await the result of the PDP primaries to know who he will be battling against. It is largely believed that he will emerge the State’s governor as the PDP continue to battle internal crisis.
Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City reported the News thus:
Mr. Godwin Obaseki on Saturday emerged the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress in Edo State ahead of the September 10 election to choose a successor to Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Obaseki beat 11 other contestants to pick the ticket of the state’s ruling party in the governorship primaries whose run-up was mostly tense.
But in the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, there was considerable uncertainty at the weekend about the party’s participation in the governorship election. This followed an escalation of the party’s leadership crisis, as the two men who laid claim to its headship readied to send different electoral panels to the state for the party’s governorship primaries scheduled to hold tomorrow. And the Independent National Electoral Commission said yesterday that it had “not recognised any of the factions” or taken a position on the PDP crisis.
Obaseki polled 1,608 votes. The other aspirants that took part in the APC governorship primaries were Dr. Pius Odubu (the deputy governor), Dr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, Kenneth Imansuangbon, Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor, Prof. Ebegue Amadasun, Austin Emua, Comrade Peter Esele, Justina Agbara, Blessing Agbomhere, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, and Arigbe Osula
A total of 2,582 delegates were accredited to vote at the primary election that was conducted by an electoral committee constituted by the national headquarters of APC, headed by Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari.
There was a frenetic pitch of activity in the camps of the various aspirants as they jostled for the endorsement of the delegates till the very last moment before the primary election. As early as 5:30am yesterday, heavily armed security operatives, made up of riot police, men of the Department of State Security, and officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, were deployed at strategic routes leading to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, venue of the delegates election. Motorists were diverted to other routes.
The delegates queued at different locations according to the three senatorial districts in the state and were accredited before the commencement of voting. The delegates from Edo Central senatorial zone were accredited at the George Idah Primary School on Ihama Road, Government Reservation, and their counterparts from Edo North did theirs at Imaguero Secondary School on Sapele road. The Edo South delegates did their accreditation at Agbado Primary School along Akpakpva road.
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