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*Ize-Iyamu, Imasuen Reject Results
The former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, on Monday recorded a major political upset in Edo State as he defeated the incumbent Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Senator Neda Imasuen, and former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to emerge the party’s candidate for the 2027 senatorial election.
Ogbeide-Ihama, who represented Oredo Federal Constituency for two terms in the National Assembly, was declared winner of the keenly contested APC Edo South Senatorial District primary election conducted across the seven local government areas that make up the district.
The outcome of the exercise is already being viewed in political circles as a major political realignment within the APC in Edo State, particularly as the former federal lawmaker overwhelmed two of the party’s influential figures to secure the coveted ticket.
Announcing the results at Urhokpota Hall in Benin City, the Chairman of the APC National Assembly Primary Elections Committee for Edo State, Mohammed Ajana, disclosed that three aspirants participated in the Edo South Senatorial District primary election.
Ajana announced that Ogbeide-Ihama polled a total of 27,154 votes to emerge victorious, while the incumbent senator, Senator Neda Imasuen, secured 13,580 votes to place second.
Pastor Osagie Andrew Ize-Iyamu, a former APC governorship candidate in Edo State, came a distant third with 6,785 votes.
The committee chairman subsequently urged party members and supporters to remain calm and await further directives from the national leadership of the APC.
The victory, according to APC faithful, marks a remarkable political comeback for Ogbeide-Ihama, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC and has since intensified grassroots consultations and political engagements across Edo South Senatorial District.
Political analysts observed that his performance at the primary election underscored his enduring popularity among party faithful, especially at the ward and local government levels.
For Senator Imasuen, the outcome represents a major setback in his bid to retain the senate seat under the APC platform.
The lawmaker, who currently represents Edo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, appeared unable to muster the political support required to withstand the growing influence of Ogbeide-Ihama within the party structure.
Similarly, the defeat of Pastor Ize-Iyamu, who flew the APC governorship flag during the 2020 Edo governorship election, has further fuelled discussions over the shifting power dynamics within the ruling party in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Despite the declaration of results, tension trailed the exercise as supporters of both Ize-Iyamu and Senator Imasuen rejected the outcome of the primary, describing the process as a sham and alleging widespread irregularities in the conduct of the election.
They insisted that the exercise did not reflect the true wishes of APC members in the senatorial district, alleging manipulation of figures and procedural breaches during the collation process.
