by Anamero Dekeri, one of the three aspirants claiming the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket, visited the party’s national headquarters in Abuja on Monday to demand his certificate of return for winning Saturday’s party primary.
He reportedly met with the National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
Dekeri’s visit follows ongoing protests in Benin, the state capital, where angry youths and women took over the party secretariat, demanding the immediate sack or dissolution of the state executives led by the acting Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, after the outcome of the February 17 shadow poll.
The primary produced three winners. Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Governor Hope Uzodimma, announced Dennis Idahosa as the winner, while returning officer Stanley Ugboaja declared Monday Okpebholo as the winner. Ojo Babatunde, claiming to represent the returning officers in all the local governments, declared Dekeri as the winner.
Although Dekeri did not address journalists after leaving the hall, he had a 10-minute closed-door session with APC’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
“He came with a letter addressed to the NWC through the national chairman demanding they issue him his certificate of return having been declared the winner of Saturday’s primary,” a source said.
Jarret Tenebe, who earlier declared Okpebholo as their candidate in a viral video on Saturday, called for calm, stating that only the APC leadership could declare the actual winner.
“The party conducted a primary and somebody emerged. So, within the next few days, you people (journalists) will know who won the primary. It is the National Working Committee that did the primary. So, there is a procedure for announcing the result.
“So, within the next few days, everything will be settled. That is the only thing I can say for now,” Tenebe said, without addressing the call for his sack.
