Benin City, the capital of Edo State, was engulfed in turmoil on Saturday afternoon as blood flowed freely from broken ribs, heads and limbs courtesy of the All Progressives Congress(APC) gubernatorial primaries.
At the end of the exercise two candidates emerged – Senator Monday Okpebholo, who represents Edo Central Senatorial District and Hon. Dennis Idahosa, who represents Ovia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Earlier in the day, journalists, party and electoral officials who were at the venue of the announcement of the results(Lushville Hotel) were thoroughly manhandled just as the announcement of the results which was ongoing favoured the emergence of Senator Okpebholo as the winner of the primaries.
From nowhere daredevil street urchins and thugs in their numbers stormed the venue and unleashed terror on just about everybody in sight. At the end of the bedlam losses incurred and life threatening injuries sustained were in monumental proportion. Most hit were cameramen of the different media establishments whose valuable equipments were destroyed and the party officials who were inflicted with injuries.
The reporters were now directed to move to Protea Hotel close to the headquarters of the Edo State Police Command where the Governor Hope Uzodinma led Edo State APC Governorship Primary Election Committee held sway.
In making the announcement of the outcome of the primaries exercise, Governor Uzodinma said that of the 42,000 votes cast Idahosa got over 40,000 votes to emerge the winner.
Meanwhile, at the Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu residence, where the Lushville Hotel ensemble later relocated to, Senator Okpebholo was declared winner having scored 12,145 votes in comparison to the 5,536 votes obtained by Idahosa.Â
According to Stanley Ugboaja, the Returning Officer for the election, of the 42,000 delegates who met the APC’s criteria to partake in the primaries only 29,000 participated.
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