Edo Guber: APC Presents Certificate Of Return To Okpebholo

Senator Monday Okpebholo, the victor of the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election, is set to receive the party’s Certificate of Return today, Saturday, February 24.

The presentation will take place during a special meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) scheduled for 2 pm at Muhammadu Buhari House in Abuja.

Governor Bassey Otu-led Edo State gubernatorial primary committee is also expected to formally submit its comprehensive report on the exercise to the Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led NWC on the same day.

Okpebholo emerged as the winner of the rescheduled shadow election on Friday, February 23, as announced by Governor Otu. Securing 12,433 votes, he defeated Hon. Dennis Idahosa, who was declared the winner of the previous weekend’s highly contested primary, but came in second in the fresh exercise with only 6,541 votes.

As the APC standard bearer in the upcoming September 21 Edo state governorship election, Senator Okpebholo, representing Edo Central in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, triumphed over nine aspirants in a tightly contested primary.

The shadow polls encountered difficulties on February 17 due to the emergence of three candidates – Hon. Dennis Idahosa, Hon. Sunday Dekeri, and Sen. Okpebholo. Consequently, the party’s NWC declared the election inconclusive and rescheduled the exercise for last Thursday to meet the INEC deadline for all parties to conduct primaries.