Parallel primaries and conflicting results marred the All Progressives Congress, APC, House of Representatives primary election held in Edo State.
DAILY POST reports that the primary elections were conducted across the nine federal constituencies in the state.
It was gathered that in Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency, there was a parallel exercise between the incumbent lawmaker representing the constituency, Hon. Marcus Onobun, and Hon. Lucky Eseigbe, the preferred candidate of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
In a viral video, the incumbent lawmaker, Marcus Onobun, was declared winner, while in another exercise, Hon. Eseigbe was declared winner.
Onobun was declared the candidate after scoring 6,897 votes. His closest rival, Mr. Paul Ogedegbe, got 3,738 votes, while Mr. Mathias Ehizua polled 2,446 votes to come third. Governor Okpebholo’s preferred candidate, Hon. Lucky Eseigbe, came fourth.
Similarly, in another conflicting final result, Mr. Godswill Inegbe, Special Adviser to Governor Okpebholo on Communication and Strategy, declared Hon. Lucky Eseigbe the candidate for the federal constituency.
Inegbe declared Hon. Eseigbe winner with 6,897 votes, while Engr. Paul Ogedegbe got 3,733 votes, Mr. Osobase Ehizua polled 2,446 votes, and Hon. Marcus Onobun scored 1,007 votes at Okaijesan Hall, Irrua, in Esan Central Local Government Area.
In Owan Federal Constituency, there was also speculation of two conflicting results.
In one of the results, Hon. Andrew Ijegbai, the immediate past Commissioner for Mining, was reported to have defeated the incumbent Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, with 3,695 votes to emerge as the party’s candidate.
Ijegbai was reported to have defeated his closest rival, Hon. Abdul Oroh, a member of the 5th Assembly, while Prof. Ihonvbere came a distant third.
It was also gathered that supporters of Prof. Ihonvbere were displaying another result that favoured the incumbent.
The same scenario reportedly played out in Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency, where Hon. Bankole Balogun and Mrs. Adetutu Owolabi were declared winners respectively.
The party’s Returning Officer, Kassim Otono, was reported to have declared Balogun winner after polling a total of 3,368 votes to defeat his closest rivals, Adetutu Owolabi and Paul Johnson, who secured 783 and 1,663 votes respectively.
In other results, Dr. Paddy Iyamu, the immediate past Commissioner for Education, emerged winner in Oredo Federal Constituency with 7,088 votes to defeat the incumbent, Hon. Esosa Iyawe.
Hon. Omosede Igbinedion and Hon. Billy Osawaru were returned as candidates for Ovia Federal Constituency and Uhunwonde/Orhionmwon Federal Constituency respectively.
Also returned as candidate was Hon. Dekeri Anamero, who won in Etsako Federal Constituency.
He scored 8,901 votes to emerge winner, while other aspirants, including Mr. Jimoh Jimani, Richard Lamai, Dr. Blessing Agbomere and Hon. Johnson Oghuma, polled 4,412, 3,127, 1,473 and 983 votes respectively.
Mr. Felix Igbinovia Osaze emerged candidate for Ikpoba-Okha/Egor Federal Constituency after defeating Hon. Pius Alile, the preferred candidate of the State Deputy Governor, Dennis Idahosa.
Parallel primaries, conflicting results rock APC Reps election in Edo