By Mercy Akuba
Some aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State have protested against the emergence of the party’s flagbearer, Monday Okpebholo.
In a protest march to the Secretatiat , these agrieved APC members believed to be supporters of the earlier announced winner of the Primary Election, Dennis Idahosa trouped in their thousands to the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Benin City, the protesters led by Harrison Okpamen said that “the said primaries of 22nd February, 2024 did not comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 as aspirants were not given equal opportunities of being voted for by party members at the designated centres at the wards that make up Edo State.
“The party members present to vote did not have their votes cast recorded by any known office of the National Secretariat. Quite clearly the result sheets used for the announcement of the results were completed in the National Secretatiat of the party as it did not flow from the reality on ground in Edo State.
“The said primaries of 17th and 22nd February, 2024 were not conducted by open secret ballot by APC as required by relevant provisions of APC constitution and the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo is not only unlawful, but a crass violation of the APC constitution.
“Our strong prayer is that the injustice perpetrated by the Governor Otu committee by set aside by the party and Hon. Dennis Idahosa be rightfully declared winner on the strength of available extant documentary evidence.”
It would be recalled that the National Working Committee(NWC), acting on allegations of irregularities ocassioned by the brutal attack of the members of the primaries election committee and journalists at the approved venue of the collation and annoucement of the results of the primaries, had declared the process inconclusive and ordered for its completion on Thursday, February 22.