By Ayo Kehinde
Hon Dennis Idahosa
The member representing Ovia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa, has emerged as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the September 21 gubernatorial election in Edo State.
Idahosa is the preferred candidate of former APC National chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
Declaring the result of the direct primary election, held across all the wards in 18 local government areas of the State, the Chairman of the Edo APC Gubernatorial Primary Election Committee, Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, said Idahosa polled 40,453 votes to beat his closest rival, Monday Okpebholo, who got 100 votes and 8 other contestants for the APC governorship ticket. Others are ex- Minister of State , Budget, Clem Agba who got 100 votes, Prof Osariebhen Osunbor 180 votes, Blessing Agbonmeire, 50, retired Col David Imuse, 400; Dekeri Anamero 230 votes; Ernest Imahikhe, 2; Gideon I who got 200 votes; Pastor Ize- Iyamu who withdrew from the race got 2 votes like Lucky Imasuen who also withdrew, 2 votes.
Governor Uzodimma also clarified that Protea Hotel was the official secretariat for the primary election, not the Lushville Hotel, where results were announced earlier.
Suspected political thugs, had earlier on Saturday, disrupted the collation of results of the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the governorship election in Edo State.
The primary election collation was ongoing at Lushville Hotel and Suite, in GRA, Benin City, when armed hoodlums swooped on the venue after overpowering the police operatives at the gate.
Several journalists, including an NTA cameraman and FRCN reporter, were manhandled and their equipment was vandalised.
The presence of the State Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adeboye, with the officials of the party at the Centre, did not deter the hoodlums from engaging in the free-for-all.
At the time of the invasion, the collation officers were on break, according to the State Collation Officer, Dr. Stanley Ughoajah.
Senator Monday Okpekholo (Edo Central) was leading the representative of the Ovia constituency in Edo South Senatorial District, Dennis Idahosa in eight of the 18 local government areas so far collated in the primary election before the invasion.
that armed hoodlums swooped on the collation Centre at Lushville Hotel, Gapiona, Benin City, injuring Journalists.
The Edo state governorship election is scheduled to be held on September 21, 2024.
Born November 8, 1980, Idahosa, 43, from Iguobazuwa, in Ovia South West Local Government Area, is the CEO of Eagle Denco Company Limited; a company with interests in construction, mining and real estate.
Before his foray into politics, he was into real estate in Canada where he migrated as a teenager for further education.
As the youngest commissioner in Edo State under the then Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, Idahosa who served as commissioner for Investment, Public and Private Partnership, donated all his salaries to the people of Ovia South West Constituency.
