Chairman of the Edo State All Progressives Congress governorship direct primary election committee, Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu, on Thursday, announced that a fresh primary will be conducted in 192 wards across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Otu disclosed this while addressing newsmen at in Benin on Thursday.
The Governor said last Saturday’s controversial primary election in the state APC had been canceled.
The leadership of the ruling APC dropped Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma as Chairman of the Election Committee after the controversy that trailed last Saturday’s governorship primary in Edo State.
Otu was the named as his replacement.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, saying the Cross River governor has now been saddled with the responsibility of conducting the re-run poll slated for Thursday, February 22.
Other members of the Primary Election Committee include former Osun State deputy governor, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, APC’s flagbearer in the Plateau State 2023 governorship election, Nentanwe Goshwe, Umar Musa, Lawan Garba and Rabiu Suleiman, who will serve as the Secretary.
The change was made a few hours after four leading aspirants called for Uzodimma’s replacement.
Aspirants like Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Chief Lucky Imasuen, Senator Monday Okpebholo and General Charles Airhiavbere (retd.) said they no longer trusted Uzodinma’s ability to conduct a free and fair election following the controversy that trailed Saturday’s poll.
Uzodinma had declared a member of the House of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa, as the winner of the contest.
According to Uzodimma, the 43-year-old Idahosa polled 40,483 votes to defeat other governorship hopefuls in the race.
The controversy that trailed the conduct of the primary forced the APC National Working Committee to declare the poll inconclusive.