Frank Ilaboya

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Wednesday conducted primaries across the 18 local government areas of the State to choose candidates who would fly its flag in the local government election scheduled to hold on March 3 this year.

The election went peacefully in most of the local government areas, except in Egor, where a mild drama ensured, following the rejection of the party favoured candidate, Ms. Eghe Ogbemudia, by another aspirant, Mr. Efe Stewart and other delegates.

Crisis was said to have erupted when a former Commissioner in the immediate past government (names witheld), had informed the delegates​ that the party had endorsed Ms. Ogbemudia as agreed in the caucus meeting that a woman should be given the opportunity to be the candidate since in the history of the Council, no woman had ever done that before.

The protesters vehemently rejected what they called imposition of Ms. Ogbemudia, whom they alleged was solely endorsed by the leaders.

This however did not go down well with Mr. Stewart and his teeming supporters which led to the  disruption of the primaries.

It took intervention of operatives of the Directorate of Security Service (DSS), who arrested him for an alleged shooting of gun to disrupt the process, for the process to continue.

At the end, Ms. Eghe Ogbemudia, daughter of the late two-time Governor of the defunct Bendel State, was nominated as the party’s flag bearer in Egor.

Destiny Enabulele: emerges flag bearer of the APC in Ovia South-West local government area.

In other results, Comrade Destiny Enabulele emerged the flag bearer of the party in Ovia South-West local government area.

Comrade Enabulele, a renowned civil rights activist, who was unanimously adopted by 26 leaders of the party in the local government, said he has developed a blueprint that would give rapid development to Ovia South West, in line with the agenda of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

In Ovia North-East council, Scott Ogemudia emerged as the party’s chairmanship candidate, while Engr. Josephat Ogedengbe, emerged chairmanship candidate for Igueben local government, just as Mr. Frank Ilaboya, a sports journalist and Chairman of the Edo State Football Association, emerged as winner in Owan West local government area.

Mr. Victor Emuoghabon was also elected by consensus as candidate in Esan South East local government area.

Meanwhile, there was confusion that almost resulted in a fight in Esan West local government area, over which of the contending chairmanship candidates​ the delegates should support and since the the primary could not hold.

To resolve the logjam, all the aspirants were asked to go to the party’s Secretariat in Benin.

At the time of filling this report, more results from other local government areas of the State are still being expected.