Edo Guber: Fresh Crisis Hits APC as Idahosa Rejects Okpebholo’s Emergence as Candidate

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State is now facing a fresh crisis as Dennis Idahosa, the first runner-up in the recently concluded primary election, has rejected the declaration of Senator Monday Okpebholo as the party’s gubernatorial candidate.

As the September 21, 2024, Edo gubernatorial election approaches, the APC has witnessed a significant divide among its members.

While other governorship aspirants such as Prince Clem Ikanade Agba and Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe have congratulated Okpebholo on his nomination as the party’s flag bearer, Idahosa has strongly opposed the decision.

In a statement released by Idahosa, he claimed that the “fictitious results” declared by the Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu-led committee represented the highest level of rape on democracy ever witnessed in Edo State.

He further vowed to explore all the party’s internal mechanisms to seek justice and communicate his next line of action to his supporters if the internal mechanism does not guarantee him the expected justice.

Despite the ongoing crisis, Idahosa has appealed to his supporters to maintain peace in the face of provocation and has assured them that he will never take their support for granted.

In a separate development, Prince Clem Agba, in a statement titled “My Stand on the Outcome of APC’s Governorship Primary Election,” has decided to work in the best interest of the party “as a loyal party man.

” He also called on his supporters to join him in working with Senator Monday Okpebholo for the party’s governorship election victory in September.

Dr. Ernest Umakhihe also congratulated Okpebholo and stated that the APC has demonstrated the true meaning of internal democracy with Okpebholo’s election as the party’s candidate for the September 21, 2024, Edo Governorship Election.

As the political landscape in Edo State continues to shift, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold and whether the internal issues within the APC can be resolved before the crucial September 21, 2024, gubernatorial election.