NB247
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has emerged as the winner of the parallel Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries in Edo State.
Shaibu won the primaries with N301 votes out of a total of 559 votes cast at the primary by coordinated by Moses Bartholomew.
He was declared the party’s candidate for the September 21, 2024 governorship election.
It was gathered that personnel of the Edo State Security Network, ESSN, however, stormed the venue shortly after the primary.
The personnel who were said to be armed, blocked the entrance to the venue thereby preventing delegates and journalists from leaving the premises.
While declaring Shaibu winner of the primary, Bartholomew Moses, the Returning Officer, said the deputy governor polled a total of 301 votes to emerge the PDP candidate.
Earlier before the parallel primary, some delegates protested that they were barred from participating in the process of accreditation and voting by some officials believed to be acting the script of the state government at the Edo Hotel, venue for the accreditation of delegates.
Meanwhile, the Governor Godwin Obaseki faction of the party is yet to commence its own election.
About 10 had been cleared to contest the PDP ticket.
The aspirants cleared to contest the governorship primary are Hon. Omosede Igbinedion; former chairman Edo State APC, Anselem Ojezua; former chairperson of Esan West Local Government Area, Felix Akhabue; Felix Akhabue, former managing director of Sterling Bank, Dr Asue Ighodalo; Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu; Arthur Esene, former House of Representatives member, Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama; Amb. Martin Uhumoibi, Osaro Onaiwu and Umoru Hadizat.
No fewer than 576 delegates were expected to decide the fate of the 10 aspirants at the primaries holding at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin.
The exercise will be conducted by an electoral committee chaired by Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal with Governor Sheriff Oborevwhori of Delta as co-chairman.
Other members of the committee are Senator James Manager (secretary), Senator Bayero Nafada, Mrs Nella Rabana, SAN, Hadiza Mustapha and Chief Felix Hyatt.
The party’s State Organising Secretary, Tony Anenih Jr., released the processes of the exercise in a statement, highlighting where the delegates and other people involved in the process, including the media, would gather, how they would be accredited, and how the exercise would be conducted.
After weeks of consultations amid high-wire intrigues, a host of the aspirants are upbeat over their chances of winning the ticket in what is being billed as a two-horse race between Ighodalo and Ogbeide-Ihama.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Governor Godwin Obaseki-backed aspirant, Dr. Ighodalo, would emerge as the governorship candidate of the PDP.