Mr. Godwin Obaseki on Saturday emerged the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress in Edo State ahead of the September 10 election to choose a successor to Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Obaseki beat 11 other contestants to pick the ticket of the state’s ruling party in the governorship primaries whose run-up was mostly tense.

Obaseki polled 1,608 votes. The other aspirants that took part in the APC governorship primaries were Dr. Pius Odubu (the deputy governor), Dr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, Kenneth Imansuangbon, Prof. Oserhiemen Osunbor, Prof. Ebegue Amadasun, Austin Emua, Comrade Peter Esele, Justina Agbara, Blessing Agbomhere, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere, and Arigbe Osula

A total of 2,582 delegates were accredited to vote at the primary election that was conducted by an electoral committee constituted by the national headquarters of APC, headed by Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari.

There was a frenetic pitch of activity in the camps of the various aspirants as they jostled for the endorsement of the delegates till the very last moment before the primary election. As early as 5:30am yesterday, heavily armed security operatives, made up of riot police, men of the Department of State Security, and officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, were deployed at strategic routes leading to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, venue of the delegates election. Motorists were diverted to other routes.

The delegates queued at different locations according to the three senatorial districts in the state and were accredited before the commencement of voting. The delegates from Edo Central senatorial zone were accredited at the George Idah Primary School on Ihama Road, Government Reservation, and their counterparts from Edo North did theirs at Imaguero Secondary School on Sapele road. The Edo South delegates did their accreditation at Agbado Primary School along Akpakpva road.

Security was tight at the three accreditation centres. But as at 8.30am, when THISDAY visited George Idah Primary School, venue for Edo Central delegates, officials for the accreditation were yet to arrive with the materials. However, the exercise commenced early at Agbado Primary School.

It was gathered that the Masari-led committee adopted the scattered process for easy control of the crowds and to save time.

Accredited delegates were conveyed from the accreditation centres to the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium where the voting commenced about 5.15pm following the arrival of the electoral committee members about 4.59pm.

Speaking before the commencement of the election, Masari said his team arrived Edo State on Friday and had met with all the aspirants, the APC National Working Committee, and the state executive committee members of the party. The guidelines for the primary election were formally read out to all the stakeholders.

Masari stated, “We promised to be fair and just to all as umpires. The interest of the state should be the motive for the contest. We have advised the contestants.”

•Extracted from a THISDAY report. Photo shows Edo APC guber candidate Godwin Obaseki.

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