Former Edo State governor and incumbent senator Adams Oshiomhole, alongside Senator Joe Ikpea, emerged unopposed in the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primaries in Edo State, securing their tickets without opposition.
While Oshiomhole and Ikpea coasted to victory in Edo North and Edo Central respectively, the Edo South senatorial primary witnessed a keenly contested race, with Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama initially declared winner.
Ogbeide-Ihama secured victories across the seven local government areas in Edo South, polling 27,154 votes to defeat Senator Neda Imasuen, who garnered 13,580 votes, and former governorship candidate Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who polled 6,785 votes.
Announcing the results at the Urokpota Hall in Benin City, Chairman of the APC National Assembly Primary Election Committee, Muhammed Ajana, said the outcome reflected votes collated from the district’s seven local government areas and 77 wards.
“There are seven local governments that make up the Edo South Senatorial District. We have heard from the returning officers from the seven local government areas,” Ajana said.
“From the collation, the cumulative result we have for Edo South Senatorial District is this: Ogbeide-Ihama with 27,154 votes, Imasuen with 13,580 votes and Ize-Iyamu with 6,785 votes.
“This is the total reflection of what transpired from the ward level to the local government and the Edo South senatorial district collation centre. With this, we await further directives from the National Secretariat.”
However, confusion later trailed the exercise following claims that Ize-Iyamu had, instead, emerged as the APC candidate for Edo South.
According to reports, the Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Muhammad Kabiru, declared Ize-Iyamu winner after allegedly securing the highest number of votes cast.
Reacting to the process, Imasuen condemned the primary, describing it as a sham allegedly orchestrated to favour a preferred aspirant.
The senator spoke while addressing journalists at his polling unit in Umagbae North Ward 5, Urhokuosa, where he claimed he was denied the opportunity to vote due to what he described as a chaotic and manipulated exercise.
Imasuen accused some party leaders of openly backing a preferred candidate ahead of the primary and intimidating members into supporting the aspirant.
“There is nothing satisfactory about this sham of election they did today and it is very unfortunate because, as a loyal party member, I expected something better than this,” he said.
He further alleged that warning signs had emerged days before the primary when some ward chairmen reportedly informed him they had been directed not to receive him during consultations.
According to him, some ward leaders openly stated that the party had already adopted Ogbeide-Ihama as its preferred aspirant, making further consultations unnecess
