• Kicks as Apapa faction sends Asemota’s name to INEC
• Group hails Ighodalo’s emergence as Edo PDP guber candidate

The last is yet to be seen of the unfolding drama in Edo State Labour Party (LP) as Lamidi Basiru Apapa faction of the party is embroiled in a crisis, following that emergence of two candidates as its governorship candidates for the Edo State governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.

This was as the Abure-led faction of the party, on Friday, February 23, 2024, declared Olumide Apata as its governorship candidate, following the primary conducted in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

In a parallel election held in Benin City on Saturday, February 24, Dr. Hilton Idahosa emerged as the winner with 917 votes. His closest rival scored 17 votes, while the third contender garnered 12 votes.

However, it was learnt that Apapa, who was not present during the primary, had written a secret letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), dated Thursday, February 22, 2024, in which he submitted the names of Anderson Uwadiae Asemota and Monday Ojore Mawah as governorship and deputy governorship candidates, respectively, of the party.

The letter, signed by Apapa as Acting National Chairman, and Saleh Lawan as Acting National Secretary, reads in part: ‘‘We write to submit the names of our candidates that emerged from our governorship primary election conducted today (February 22, 2024) in Benin City, Edo State.

‘‘You will recall that we had earlier notified the Commission about the conduct of our party’s governorship primary today, and we, hereby, forward the names of our party flag bearer for the September 21, 2024 governorship election.’’

Reacting to the development, Idahosa, who is a United Kingdom (UK)-based lawyer, described the purported letter from Apapa as fake. He explained that the primary election, which was earlier slated for Thursday, February 21, 2024, was shifted to Saturday, February 24, to allow for exigencies.

Meanmwhile, a diaspora support group for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2024 Edo governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, The Asue Ighodalo Support Group (Canada), has described his emergence as an avenue for greater things and progress in the state.

The group, in a statement by its President, Tony Imoisili, and the Vice President, Roland Odiana, while congratulating him on his victory, said: “This victory was well deserved for a man with huge capacity, brilliance, intellect, vision and transformational mindset.
“Ighodalo (Man Wey Sabi) remains the best man for the job. We believe it is time to get the job done through collective responsibility.