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From Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Two conflicting results were yesterday declared for the Edo South Senatorial primary election in which three aspirants, comprising incumbent Senator Neda Imasuen, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, participated.
In one of the results announced by Chairman of the APC National Assembly Primary Election for the State, Muhammed Ajana, at the Urhokpota Hall, which is the Edo South Collation centre, he said Ogbeide-Ihama scored 27,154 votes, Neda Imasuen 13,580 while Pastor Ize-Iyamu polled 6,785 votes.
He said the collation arose from votes cast in the seven local government areas made up of 77 wards which election was conducted by members of the committee.
“There are seven local governments that make up the Edo South; we have heard from the Returning Officers from the seven local government areas. From the collation, the cumulative result we have for Edo South is this; Ogbeide-Ihama with 27,154 votes, Imasuen with 13,580 votes and Ize-Iyamu with 6, 785.
“This is the total reflection of what has transpired from the ward level to the local government and the Edo South collation centre. With this, we await further directives from the National Secretariat, we have done our best by collating the results which is our mandate, to collate the results and send them to the National Secretariat,” Ajana said.
But, in another declaration, the Chief Returning Officer, Abubakar Muhammad Kabiru, announced Pastor Ize-Iyamu winner after securing the highest number of votes cast.
Kabiru said Ize-Iyamu polled 33,399 votes to emerge victorious, while Ogbeide-Ihama garnered 12,560 votes and Senator Imasuen received 5,107 votes.
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Ize-Iyamu, while reacting to the outcome, expressed appreciation to party supporters and pledged to provide quality representation if elected in the general election.
In Edo North and Edo Central, there was no contest against the incumbents; Senators Adams Oshiomhole and Joe Ikpea, respectively.
Reacting to the outcome of the Edo South primary, Senator Neda condemned the exercise, describing it as a sham allegedly designed to favour a preferred aspirant.
The Senator who spoke at his polling unit in Umagbae North, Ward 5, Urhokuosa, alleged that he was denied the opportunity to vote following what he described as a chaotic and manipulated process.
He accused leaders of the party of openly adopting a preferred candidate ahead of the exercise and intimidating members into supporting that aspirant.
“There’s nothing satisfactory about this sham of election they did today and it is very unfortunate because as a loyal party member, I expected something better than this,” he said.
Senator Imasuen disclosed that the warning signs emerged days before the primary when some ward chairmen allegedly informed him that they had been directed not to receive him during consultations.
He said some ward leaders openly told him the party had already adopted a preferred aspirant, identified as Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, making further consultations unnecessary.
