TheCable

Monday Okpebholo, senator representing Edo central, has been declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the September 21 governorship election in the state. 

Bassey Otu, governor of Cross River and the chairman of the APC supplementary primary election, declared Okpebholo winner of the election on Friday, in Benin.

Otu said the candidate polled 12,433 votes to defeat 11 other aspirants in the contest.

On February 17, Hope Uzodinma, who was the former chairman of the primary election committee, announced Dennis Idahosa, a member of the house of representatives, as the winner of the primary election.

However, Ojo Babatunde, spokesperson of the returning officers, said Sunday Dekeri, a lawmaker representing Etsako federal constituency in the house of representatives, polled 25,384 votes to defeat Idahosa.

Okpebholo also claimed that he won the election with over 6,000 votes.

Consequently, the APC national working committee (NWC) declared the election inconclusive.

The committee ordered that a supplementary primary be conducted on Thursday, and replaced Uzodinma with Otu as chairman.

Idahosa, who led in the first ballot with 4,483, ended the rerun with 6,541 votes.