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Update: Edo guber primary: APC NWC dumps Uzodinma’s report, declares poll inconclusive

The lawmakers want the current presidential system of government scrapped as part of efforts to reduce the cost of governance, Persecondnews reports.

Per Second NewsFebruary 21, 20241.2k

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has intervened following the crisis that rocked the February 17 Edo State Primary Election and has declared the exercise inconclusive.

The NWC rejected the results of the primary announced as the outcome of the contest among the governorship aspirants.

Persecondnews reported that Imo Governor Hope Uzodinma’s Primary Election Committee had declared Rep. Dennis Idahosa winner, having polled 40,453 votes, while Senator Okpebholo was returned winner by the Chief Returning Officer, Dr. Stanley Ugboaja, and Anamero Sunday Dekeri was also declared victorious.

APC said it will conclude the exercise on Thursday, February 22.

A decision to this effect was reached on Tuesday night at an emergency meeting of the NWC to consider the report of the election submitted by Uzodinma’s primary election committee at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

The National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and the National Secretary, Sen. Ajibola Basiru, briefed President Bola Tinubu at the Villa on the outcome of the election.

Although details of the meeting at the villa were not made public, sources said the president expressed concerns at the turn of events during the shadow election and directed the NWC to ensure that the exercise was concluded.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, which lasted about three hours, National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Felix Morka, said that based on the election report, the NWC resolved that the primary election had not been concluded.

“At its emergency meeting held today, Tuesday, February 20, 2024, to consider the report on the Edo State Governorship Primary Election, the National Working Committee (NWC) deliberated on the report and resolved that the Edo State Governorship Primary Election has not been completed, and has now fixed Thursday, February 22, 2024, for the completion of the Primary Election Process,” he said.

Three of the 10 aspirants who contested the election have “emerged as winners,” while two withdrew a few hours before the commencement of the exercise.

As of the close of work on Tuesday, three of the aspirants have filed their petition with the Appeal Committee and the office of the National Chairman of the party.

Two of the aspirants — Dekeri and Okpebholo — asked the NWC to issue them certificates of return, while Osunbor called for the outright cancellation of the exercise, claiming there was no election in the 192 wards of the state last Saturday.