The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked one of the aspirants for its Edo State governorship ticket, Dennis Idahosa, to submit to party supremacy and decision regarding the primary election held last Thursday.
The APC National Vice Chairman (South East), Ijeomah Arodiogbu, made the appeal during an interview with newsmen on Monday in Abuja.
Daily Trust reports that Idahosa and his supporters are protesting his defeat at the primary, which was chaired by Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu, in Benin, where Senator Monday Okpebholo was declared the winner.
Idahosa is contesting the fact that he was declared the winner of the February 17 primary election of the party in Benin by the chairman of the primary election committee and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, before the Thursday poll was conducted.
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Our correspondent further reports that the second primary followed protests and criticism of the first exercise and the emergence of two other candidates, Senator Monday Okpebholo and Anamero Sunday Dekeri, at different locations in Benin.
Yesterday, some members of the APC from Edo State stormed the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, demanding the Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led National Working Committee (NWC) withdraw the certificate of return presented to Senator Okpebholo as the party’s candidate for the September 21 governorship election in the state.
Similarly, during a protest in Benin, supporters of Idahosa, led by Harrison Okpamen, said the February 22 primary was in violation of the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.
But the APC National Vice Chairman (South East), Arodiogbu, said, “The party is supreme. Whatever decision the party has taken, one should submit to that decision. So, I will plead with Idahosa to submit to the decision of the party.”