In the wake of controversies trailing the Edo State Governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party has replaced the Chairman of the party’s Primary Election Committee for Edo State, Imo State’s Governor Hope Uzodimma.
In Uzodinma’s place, Cross River State’s Governor Bassey Otu was appointed as the new Electoral Panel Chairman.
According to a statement on Wednesday by the National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, the Cross River State Governor will handled the responsibility of conducting the re-run primary election slated for Thursday, February 22.
Other members of the Primary Election Committee include: Former Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori; APC’s flagbearer in the Plateau State 2023 governorship election, Nentanwe Goshwe; Umar Musa; Lawan Garba and Rabiu Suleiman who will serve as the Secretary.
The change was made after at least four leading aspirants demanded that Uzodimma be removed.
He had chaired the Edo Primary Election Committee on February 17 and declared a Member of the House of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa, as the winner of the contest.
Uzodimma said the 43-year-old Idahosa polled 40,483 votes to defeat other governorship hopefuls in the race.
Meanwhile, the Returning Officer, Stanley Ugboaja, separately declared Senator Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the exercise.
However, the returning officers in the various LGAs in the state announced, Sunday Dekeri, a lawmaker representing Etsako federal constituency in the House of Representatives, as the winner of the primary.
Speaking on behalf of the returning officers, Ojo Babatunde, said the lawmaker polled 25,384 votes to defeat Idahosa.
