Edo 2024: Akpata Emerges LP’s Guber Candidate, Okpebholo Wins APC Ticket

*Shaibu: PDP will lose if party fails to field me

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City and Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former President of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata has been elected candidate of the Labour Party (LP), for the 21 September, 2024, governorship election in Edo State.

Also yesterday, Senator Monday Okpebholo, was declared winner of the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) rescheduled direct primary election.
Akpata pooled 316 votes to defeat other aspirants. The declared result showed that Kenneth Imansuangbon scored seven votes; Prof. Sunday Eromosele also got seven votes while Sergius Ogun got four.

Speaking at the end of the election, the chief returning officer for the primary election and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetulu, noted that the outcome of the exercise was a true testimony that the LP represents truth, hard work and transparency.
Emetulu who thanked the aspirants for showing the spirit of sportsmanship, also encouraged Akpata to be magnanimous in victory and carry other aspirants along.

In his acceptance speech, Akpata paid tribute to the late Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu.
He spoke about Akeredolu’s trajectory, whom he described as his mentor and predecessor as national chairman of the NBA, promising to follow the late governor’s ideals if elected governor.

Akpata assured members of the party that he would unite the party ahead of the September election, and solicited their support to make the dream of the LP occupying the Edo State Government House a reality.
Meanwhile, Okpebholo was declared as the winner of the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) rescheduled direct primary election.
With this, the Senator representing Edo Central district in senate chambers, is now the candidate of APC in the governorship election.

The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu, who was the Chairman of Edo APC’s shadow poll held yesterday, made the declaration after collating the results from the 18 local government areas’ returning officers that conducted the shadow poll in the 192 wards of the state.The collation and declaration took place at Lushville Hotel and Suites, Gapiona Avenue, Government Reservation Area (GRA), Benin City.
Okpebholo got 12,433 votes to defeat Dennis Idahosa, the member, representative of Ovia constituency in the House of Representatives, who scored 6,541 votes.

Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, had in the previous primary election, declared House of Representatives member, Dennis Idahosa, winner at an election held at Protea Hotel.
In a related development, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may lose the election if the party fails to field him as its candidate.

 Shaibu, said this while speaking in an interview on Channels Television yesterday.
He maintained that he was the authentic candidate of the party for the election, saying that Edo people do not want Ighodalo, whom he said was not a homeboy.
According to the outgoing deputy governor, “The option is for the PDP not to go and argue against my candidacy, if they do that PDP will lose Edo State. Edo people do not want Asue Ighodalo to be the governor of Edo State because he is not a homeboy they know.

“They are looking for someone that they know, somebody they can feel, somebody they can touch. PDP has a date with history, delegates have spoken that they want Shuaibu and I can bet you that the other eight aspirants will support Shuaibu if they party back him.”
Shaibu insisted that he was elected by the authentic delegates of the party in the state.