The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Edo State Asue Ighodalo was yesterday elected as governorship candidate for the November 12 poll.
But, as at press time, the collation of results for the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary had not started.
Ighodalo polled 577 votes to beat other aspirants-Anselm Ojezua, Arthur Esele, Osaro Onaiwu, Martins Uhomoibhi, Hadizat Umoru and Felix Akhabue, who scored zero.
Deputy Governor Shaibu scored one vote at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin while six votes were declared void.
Former House of Representatives member Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama stepped down for Ighodalo.
There were 585 accredited delegates at the venue.
The primary was monitored by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials.
The Chief Returning Officer of the Edo PDP Governorship Primary Election Committee, Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State announced Ighodalo as candidate.
He said: “By the powers vested in me by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, pursuant to the Constitution of our great party, the PDP, as the Chief Returning Officer of the 2024 Edo PDP Primary Election, I hereby declare Asue Ighodalo as the winner of the primary election with a total vote of 577.
Lawal was assisted by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Senator James Manager, who were the Vice Chairman and Secretary of the committee.
Ighodalo thanked Obaseki and the people of the state for their love and support.
He said the governor laid the foundation for him to build upon, adding that he will appoint youths into his government, if elected.
He said: “I want to thank you for making me a tool, and I promise you that I will be a useful tool, and by the grace of God, Edo State will move from where Obaseki has carried us, to the next level.
“I want to thank Obaseki for the wonderful work he has done in the last seven and a half years. I know that in a year or two, people will keep talking about Obaseki. We have not seen the value of the work he has done, but he is like a builder laying the foundation for a hundred story building.
“No man is perfect. We will all continue to repair and work on one another’s mistakes.”
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Welcoming delegates to the stadium, Obaseki said: “Today, we are going through an exercise that has been stipulated by our party. Even though it is statutory, the exercise will be life-changing because Nigeria is going through difficult times and we can only overcome the challenges we are facing as a Country with the right leadership.
“If we in Edo do not begin to show the right leadership that will begin to reset Nigeria, God forbid, we may all be in trouble. PDP is the only party that has what it takes to rule this country. Again, we are showing the example in the way we are conducting our leadership selection process.”
However, the crisis over the governorship nomination escalated as Shaibu claimed that he was elected as candidate in parallel primary.
He was declared winner at another primary held at his official residence in Benin with 301 of the 563 delegates’ votes.
Shaibu, in his acceptance speech, dedicated his victory to God Almighty, his teeming supporters, and the people of Edo.
Court declines request to stop PDP primary
A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday declined to grant an order to stop the PDP from conducting the primary.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in rulings on two ex-parte applications, ordered the applicants to put the PDP on notice for the party to attend court on the next date to show cause why the request by the applicants should not been granted.
The first, marked: FHC /ABJ /CS/ 195/2024 was filed by Adizetu Hadizat Audrey Abosede Adunni Umoru, while the second, marked: FHC /ABJ /CS/ 196/2024 was jointly filed by Moses Adomokha Alabi and Christopher Ebode Oboarere.
Listed as respondents in both suits are – Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP, Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, Setonji Koshoedo, the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP.
In their applications dated and filed February 19 the applicants want an interim order restraining the defendants from using the list of ward congresses held on February 4, for the purpose of conducting the primary.
LP primary: Akpata accuses party leaders of shoddy preparation
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata, who is a Labour Party (LP) governorship aspirant, has accused party leaders of shoddy preparations for primary.
Akpata made the accusation in his petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said: “The purpose of this letter is to bring to your attention the lack of preparedness and transparency surrounding the Labour Party’s planned primaries to produce a gubernatorial candidate for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State.
“The complete opacity around the party’s primaries preparations points to a lack of readiness to conduct any credible process that can stand legal scrutiny. Moreso, the reluctance to carry aspirants along fuels fears that the eventual primaries outcome may have been predetermined, regardless of any phantom congress and the primaries conducted, to rubber stamp a fabricated result.
“If things go awry, it could result in pre-election disputes, to which INEC will inevitably be joined as a necessary party, thereby tying down its already meagre resources, and leaving the commission to grapple with yet another unnecessary and avoidable dispute that could have been averted had the right thing been done and the warning signs heeded.”
